Job Discussion Forums

[nomad soul]

Single GCC visa likely by mid-2014
By Ghazanfar Ali Khan, Arab News | 20 December 2013
Source: http://www.arabnews.com/news/495656

GCC countries are planning to launch a European-style Schengen visa by mid-2014 to allow Gulf-based expats and foreign businessmen to move easily across the borders of the six-member bloc. The GCC interior ministers are working on the details of the project, which many believe will boost tourism and trade in the region, and cut out lengthy bureaucratic delays, said Abdul Rahim Hassan Al-Naqi, secretary-general of the GCC Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

“The Gulf countries are currently working on the technical details of the project, especially an automated system that will link the member countries.” Abdul Rahman Al-Zamil, president of the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry, called it a positive development. “The move is significant keeping in mind the growing number of foreigners visiting the Gulf states for business and tourism.” He urged GCC officials to speed up the project, and said the single visa would facilitate the movement of about 15 million foreign workers working in the Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia.

Expatriates living and working in the GCC represent 31 percent of the Gulf population. Saudi Arabia, which has the most foreign workers despite stringent visa regulations, is home to about 9 million foreigners. Asked about the benefits of the single visa, Al-Zamil said: “The introduction of the visa will have impressive benefits for the Gulf economy and will boost the income of citizens, mainly in the tourism sector.” Shahir A. Hamid, a local travel agent, welcomed the move. “In fact, anyone who has traveled regularly within the GCC will have their own horror stories about the length of time they were forced to wait at passport control.” The Gulf states do need to have an electronic link between the member countries to exchange data and therefore ease the implementation of the common Gulf tourism visa, he said. “I have heard that the GCC visa could be issued soon. It will not replace the member states’ individual visas.”

The GCC single visa will be modeled on the Schengen visa. It should be noted that citizens of the 26 EU Schengen countries and the US, UK, Japan, S. Korea and Malaysia do not require visas to enter the UAE, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain. However, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait still require most nationalities to apply for visas. Those barred from a GCC country for legal reasons or those who have already been deported would not be considered for the unified visa.

(End of article)

[veiledsentiments]

Considering how little these countries finally manage to agree on... I wouldn't hold my breath. The easy way would be to just recognize each other's work/visit visas.

Is that too obvious, easy, and cheap?

VS

[nomad soul]

Although "tourism" and "trade" are indicated as the primary reasons behind issuance of a single GCC visa, I suspect it's more for the purpose of tracking (versus facilitating) expats' movements throughout the region, especially given KSA's recent major crackdown on illegal foreign workers.

[shebab]

[lcanupp1964]

2014? Yea right... I'll see it when I see it.

[Beaker]

Will this do away with SEV/MEV's though? Certain companies are withholding employees salaries when they issue MEV's, and also charge 'admin fees' to obtain the visa in the first place.

[veiledsentiments]

[nomad soul]

When camels fly...

Freedom of work, travel for GCC citizens and expats mooted
Saudi Gazette report | August 6, 2014
Source: http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20140807213926

DAMMAM — Expatriates living in the GCC countries may be granted the freedom to travel, reside and work in any of the six member states from next November, according to a report published by Al-Eqtisadiah business daily on Wednesday. The GCC labor ministers are scheduled to meet in Kuwait in November to discuss the freedom of work, residence and movement for both their citizens and expatriates.

Hind Al-Subaih, Kuwait’s minister of social affairs and labor, said the ministers are presently studying a number of decisions and the results of their deliberations will be known before the end of the year. She said the decisions would concern the provision of work opportunities for GCC citizens and the freedom of movement, residence and work for expatriates. She said the issue of the freedom of travel, work and residence is still being considered individually by each of the six countries’ labor ministries. “The proposals cover both the GCC citizens and expatriates living and working in the six member countries,” she said.

However, officials concerned with the nationalization of jobs in the GCC have expressed fears of allowing expatriates to move freely, reside and work in these countries. They said such a move might have adverse implications on their job nationalization programs.

Secretary general of the federation of GCC commerce chambers, Abdul Rahim Taqi, warned against giving expatriates the opportunity to move freely and work in any of the GCC countries. He said: “The time is not yet ripe for this step. “The priority in this regard should be first given to the GCC citizens.”

Fawzi Al-Magdili, secretary of manpower in Kuwait, expressed similar fears. “Giving expatriates the freedom to move, reside and work in the GCC countries may hit hard these countries’ job nationalization programs,” he said. He asked for conducting more intensive studies before approving this step, which may increase competition for jobs between GCC citizens and expatriates.

(End of article)

[SirAristede]

The common delay tactics: more research and inquiry. Just as the talks regarding the uniform GCC currency fizzled out and were buried, I can see the GCC visa following a similar fate, especially since each member state would still have maintained their own visa processes. (Ergo, what's the point then...)