Speaking on the current-affairs programme ‘Arab Views’, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jasem Al Budaiwi said on 9 October that Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar are “very close” to starting the EU legislative process that could ultimately grant their citizens visa-free short-term access to the Schengen area. An announcement may come at the GCC-EU summit in Riyadh on 24 October. The UAE secured its own Schengen visa waiver in 2015 and is not part of the new drive, but the development is strategically important for UAE-based multinationals that manage regional mobility programmes. Once implemented, employees from neighbouring Gulf states could travel to Europe for meetings without time-consuming visa appointments in Abu Dhabi or Dubai, easing intra-regional project staffing. European tour operators with offices in Dubai predict a 15 per cent jump in short-break bookings originating in Riyadh and Manama, with Dubai continuing to act as a hub for onward flights. UAE airports may therefore see transit volumes rise, supporting Emirates and Etihad’s Europe-bound feeder traffic. For now, nothing changes: Gulf nationals must still apply for multiple-entry visas, and the European Parliament has yet to adopt the enabling regulation. Mobility managers should continue to budget for Schengen visa fees and processing times, but track the summit outcome for possible fast-tracking of the proposal under Spain’s rotating EU presidency. If the waiver proceeds, UAE passport holders may benefit indirectly: Schengen authorities could recalibrate overstaying-risk models that currently single out certain Gulf nationals, potentially smoothing border checks for all GCC travellers.
Source: Gulf News
