Unified Gulf visa to ease travel, boost tourism, say expatriates

Muscat: The GCC Ministers of Interior approved the unified Gulf tourist visa project in a meeting in Muscat on Wednesday to facilitate movement of residents and tourists among the six GCC countries.

This move will undoubtedly have positive effects on the economy and tourism of the Gulf states, said people living in Oman. Welcoming the unified visa, Binod, a long-time resident of Oman, said this move has great benefit for residents like him. Earlier, I had to think twice before visiting Dubai where my daughter and son-in-law live. “My daughter and son-in-law are residents of Dubai. With no visa requirement, I can go and meet them on weekends or at least in a month. Currently, I have to pay OMR35 for every visit or if they come to Oman, they have to spend a huge amount on a visa.”

“In fact, visa requirements were a stumbling block in people’s movement. As travelling by bus to Dubai is quite cheap, I can now travel more frequently to Dubai and meet my daughter, he said, adding even businessmen will find travel easier and cheaper as they don’t need to pay visa fees. This move is akin to the Schengen style of visa.”

 For an Indian resident Fatema, whose son lives in Oman and daughter in Dubai, this move has become a boon. She said, now I can meet both my children in a single visit without spending an additional amount on visa fees. The Gulf trip is going to become hassle-free for the expatriates. Earlier, I had to carefully plan visas and travel dates if I wanted to visit both kids.” “Since I heard of the unified visa, I have been keenly following the report,” Fatema said.

“When the unified visa comes, I can easily visit both my children and also meet my brother working in Doha. I don’t have to wait for the visa.”

For thousands of residents and tourists, the news of a unified visa has come as a big relief. Satish Shah, who is an accountant in a Dubai firm, has to travel across the region for his assignments. He said though my company takes care of visa requirements, I have to be careful while travelling and ensure that all visas are in place. Sometimes due to delays in visa processing, my work gets affected or I have to cancel my flight. This is a financial loss for my company and sometimes for me too. Once the unified visa comes, I think life is going to become smooth for travellers.”

The visa will help travellers explore the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council countries, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and Kuwait.

The move is expected to boost tourism and increase the number of visitors to the region.