Gulf nations seek to establish a visa exemption agreement with the European Union.
Key Points:
1. Gulf nations aim to finalize a visa-free travel agreement with the EU by year-end.
2. The Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Jasem Albudaiwi, will head to Brussels next week for negotiations.
3. Albudaiwi emphasized that GCC countries should have been exempted from visa requirements long ago.
Gulf countries are actively pursuing a visa-free travel agreement with the European Union. Jasem Albudaiwi, the GCC Secretary General, will travel to Brussels next week to advocate for Schengen visa exemption for citizens of the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman. Albudaiwi stated that the GCC has a strong case for obtaining this exemption and will request it on behalf of all GCC countries during negotiations with EU representatives. While the meeting has not yet taken place, Albudaiwi expressed confidence that the visa-free travel agreement will be achieved by the end of this year. He also highlighted that these countries should have been exempted from visa requirements earlier. Presently, only citizens of the UAE can travel visa-free to the Schengen Area, while UAE foreign residents must follow regular visa application procedures. GCC countries believe that a visa liberalization agreement would benefit both the EU and their citizens, resulting in increased travel to the EU from Gulf countries.
In 2022, citizens of the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman submitted a significant number of Schengen visa applications for travel purposes. Data indicates that 357,764 Saudi Arabians applied for Schengen visas, with a majority being issued visas. Similarly, Qataris and Kuwaitis had high approval rates for their visa applications. Bahrainis and Omanis also applied for Schengen visas, with a majority being granted visas. Additionally, foreign residents in the UAE submitted a substantial number of Schengen visa applications, with a significant portion being granted visas.