GCC Secretary General: We Are Close to Visa Exemption for Gulf Citizens in 'Schengen' - Sarmad

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jassem Al-Bedaiwi announced that the process of waiving Schengen visa requirements for citizens of GCC states that are still subject to such requirements is nearing completion, anticipating progress on the file during the GCC-Europe summit scheduled in Riyadh on October 24.

In an interview with Arab News editor-in-chief Faisal Abbas on the “Arabs in Focus” program in Manama, Al-Bedaiwi clarified that it is not possible to pinpoint a specific date for the implementation of the waiver, noting that the relevant countries will begin the procedures simultaneously, but their completion will depend on each country’s requirements and the speed of providing the necessary information.

The countries concerned are Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and the Sultanate of Oman, while UAE citizens already benefit from a waiver for short-stay visas under an agreement with the European Union that entered into force in May 2015.

The European Council had previously announced that the second summit between the two sides would be held in Riyadh on October 24.

Al-Bedaiwi expressed his hope that the summit would yield tangible results, including progress on the file concerning the mobility of GCC citizens to the Schengen area.