Gulf countries to introduce Schengen-style ‘One-Stop Travel’ system for citizens

KUWAIT CITY: The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has approved the first phase of a “One-Stop” travel system that will allow citizens of member states to complete all travel procedures at a single point, streamlining movement across the Gulf region.

According to the Gulf News, GCC Secretary-General Jassem Al-Budaiwi announced that the pilot phase of the project will be launched next month, covering air travel between the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

If successful, the initiative will be expanded to include all GCC member states once the necessary infrastructure is in place.

Under the new system, GCC nationals will be able to complete immigration, customs, and security checks at their initial point of departure, eliminating the need for repeated inspections at subsequent destinations. The move aims to reduce travel time and enhance coordination between Gulf states.

The decision was made during the 42nd meeting of the GCC Interior Ministers, held in Kuwait City. The meeting also reviewed the Gulf Strategy for Combating Drugs (2025–2028) and discussed the completion of a project to link and modernize traffic violation systems across member states.

Speaking at the meeting, Al-Budaiwi told the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) that the new system would be supported by a unified electronic platform to record and share travel-related data and violations among GCC countries. This digital integration, he said, will make regional travel faster, safer, and more efficient.

The “One-Stop” initiative reflects the Schengen-style travel framework used in the European Union, marking another step toward greater regional integration and cooperation among GCC nations.

Earlier, the Financial and Economic Cooperation Committee of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) approved the revised methodology for calculating the selective tax on sweetened beverages. A new system for taxing sweetened beverages in Saudi Arabia will be introduced from 1st January 2026.

Under the new tiered volumetric approach, the tax will be assessed according to graded bands determined by the total amount of sugar per 100 millilitres of beverages falling within each bracket.

This replaces the current flat-rate system, which imposes a fixed 50 percent selective tax on the retail price of sweetened beverages subject to the tax.

In line with this decision, the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA) published proposed amendments to the Implementing Regulations of the Excise Goods Tax Law on the Public Consultation Platform Istitlaa.