A Schengen visa is a pretty convenient way to travel to multiple countries that come in the Schengen area. This allows you not only to explore more ground and more cities in different countries but also saves you from the hassle of applying for a visa to every one of them. What if we said that something similar is coming to the Middle East? Well, according to reports, there are talks of a similar style of visa being introduced for Saudi Arabia and Oman. Here’s what you need to know about the joint tourist visa.
Unified Visa For Saudi Arabia & Oman?
According to a news report by Gulf News, it was mentioned that Saudi Arabia and Oman are considering the launch of a joint tourist visa. Yes, with this initiative, it is expected to boost investment cooperation in both countries along with tourism as well. So what this means for travellers is that if this comes to fulfilment, they will need just one visa to travel between the two countries.
The discussion happened when a meeting took place between Saudi Arabia’s Tourism Minister, Ahmad Al Khatib and his counterpart from Oman, Salem Al Mahrooqi in Muscat a few days ago. This meeting also served as a platform for promoting tourism in both countries according to the report. Besides a probable introduction of a unified tourist visa, the initiative also includes establishing seasonal flights and the creation of a joint tourism calendar.
Also Read: GCC Countries May Introduce Schengen-Style Visa! Here’s All About It.
A Schengen-Style Visa For GCC?
This development comes after, there were recently talks of being circulated about a probable launch of a Schengen-style visa for the GCC. If this happens, tourists would be allowed to travel across countries in the area with a single visa. This development was revealed at the Arabian Travel Market 2023, however, currently, there are no concrete developments regarding this news. So, if the launch does happen for a unified visa for Saudi Arabia and Oman, you may have a chance to visit cities like Salalah, Muscat, Riyadh, and Jeddah with a single visa!
So, what do you think about this tentative visa development? Let us know what you think about the development in the comment section below.
Cover Image Courtesy: Canva