Al-Badawi: Visa exemption for Gulf citizens for 'Schengen' is very close
Al-Badawi revealed that the visa exemption for Gulf citizens for Schengen is nearing realization during the European Summit in Riyadh.
Translated by Qiyas from السياسة — Original source
Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jassem Mohamed Al-Bedaiwi announced that the process to exempt citizens of five Gulf countries from the Schengen visa is nearing completion, expressing optimism that positive developments will be announced at the second Gulf-Europe summit, scheduled to take place in Riyadh on October 24.
Al-Bedaiwi, speaking during a special episode of the “Arabs in Focus” podcast, stated that exempting citizens of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, and the Sultanate of Oman from the Schengen visa is “very close,” noting that the upcoming summit may witness the announcement of a significant step to initiate the exemption procedures.
He clarified that the summit will discuss several shared files between the Gulf and European sides, expressing his hope for tangible progress in facilitating the travel of GCC citizens to Schengen area countries.
Citizens of the United Arab Emirates already benefit from exemption from short-stay visas to the Schengen area, under an agreement with the European Union that entered into force in May 2015.
The European Council had previously announced the convening of the second Gulf-Europe summit in Riyadh on October 24, amid expectations of achieving concrete results on several cooperation files, foremost among them facilitating travel for Gulf citizens to Europe.
