LONDON: The EU revealed on Monday its plans to ease visa regulations for citizens from Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Bahrain.
The European Commission has approved three measures to update the rules on granting multi-entry visas to residents of these Gulf countries.
The announcement was made during the EU-GCC High-Level Forum on Regional Security and Cooperation in Luxembourg, led by Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, accompanied by the Saudi ambassador to the EU, Haifa Al-Jedea, and foreign ministry advisor Manal Radwan.
The forum addressed the strengthening of security and strategic cooperation between the Gulf states and the EU, as well as recent developments in the Gaza Strip and the surrounding areas, emphasizing the urgent need for a ceasefire.
Under the revised visa regulations, citizens of Bahrain, Oman, and Saudi Arabia will be eligible for multi-entry visas, allowing them to visit the EU multiple times within a five-year period using the same visa.
This update is part of the “cascade” concept, aiming for a unified approach to issuing long-validity multiple-entry visas for all eligible applicants, including first-time travelers. During the visa’s validity period, holders enjoy travel privileges equivalent to those of visa-free nationals.
The objective is to standardize visa rules for all GCC countries whose citizens require visas to enter the Schengen Area.
Implementing the five-year visa rule signifies a significant advancement in enhancing people-to-people relations between the EU and the GCC. It aligns with the EU’s Joint Communication on a “Strategic Partnership with the Gulf,” encompassing relations with Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Bahrain.
Experts see this as a preliminary step towards a Schengen waiver. The Schengen Area, comprising 29 European countries, expanded in February to include Bulgaria and Romania, abolishing air and maritime border controls, with a decision on land controls pending.
In November, Gulf countries announced plans for a unified tourist visa akin to Schengen, aiming to streamline travel logistics for residents and tourists alike.
