Schengen-style GCC Unified Tourist Visa covering 6 Gulf nations approved, to roll out soon: Report
Abu Dhabi: The long-anticipated GCC unified tourist visa has reportedly been approved and will be rolled out shortly. It will allow foreign tourists to visit all six member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council — the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, and Kuwait — under a single entry permit, in a move reminiscent of the Schengen visa system in Europe.
“The single (GCC) tourist visa has been approved and waiting now to be implemented, hopefully, soon. Now, it is with the Ministry of Interior and the relevant stakeholders and they should look into it,” Khaleej Times quoted Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, UAE’s Minister of Economy, as saying.
The idea of a unified GCC tourist visa, also referred to as the "GCC Grand Tours Visa”, has been under discussion for few years, aimed at enhancing regional tourism by simplifying travel procedures. Once implemented, it will allow travellers to visit all six Gulf countries under a single visa, removing the current requirement of applying separately for each destination, despite the countries being well-connected by air and road.
Data released by the Statistical Centre for the Cooperation Council for the Arab Countries of the Gulf, and cited by Khaleej Times, shows the region attracted 68.1 million visitors in 2023, generating a record-breaking $110.4 billion in tourism revenue. This marks a 42.8 percent increase in tourist arrivals compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
Industry experts reportedly believe that the unified GCC tourist visa will be a game-changer for the regional tourism sector and the broader economy. They anticipate significant benefits, including increased job creation, enhanced gross domestic product (GDP), and a rise in "bleisure" travel — a growing trend where business travellers extend their trips to explore neighbouring destinations for leisure.
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SIT formed to probe second sexual assault case against expelled Cong MLA Mamkootathil
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted to probe a second case of sexual assault against expelled Congress MLA Rahul Mamkootathil, police officials said on Friday.
The SIT will be led by G Poonguzhali, Assistant Inspector General at the Police Headquarters.
The team also includes a DSP rank officer and sub-inspectors, officials added.
The second sexual assault complaint was received by the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee, which it forwarded to the state police chief.
ALSO READ: Cong expels rape-accused MLA Mamkootathil from party's primary membership
Following this, the Crime Branch registered a case and launched an investigation.
Crime Branch officials said the email complaint contained only the sender's email ID and no other contact details.
As part of the probe, they have sent a reply email requesting that the complainant contact them and provide her statement.
The complainant has alleged that she was sexually assaulted under the false promise of marriage, a Crime Branch official said.
However, details such as the location and date of the alleged incident are not currently available to the police.
The SIT will attempt to trace the sender of the email and record her statement, which is crucial for further investigation, the officer said.
Mamkootathil was expelled from the Congress party on Thursday after a court here rejected his anticipatory bail petition in another rape case.
Police said he is currently absconding, and a manhunt is underway in Kerala and neighbouring states.
