The Secretary-General of the Federation of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FGCC Chambers) has referred a study to the alliance interior ministers supporting the introduction of a common GCC tourism visa.

"The study includes all details pertaining to the common visa," Abdul Rahim Hassan Naqi, the Secretary-General of the FGCC Chambers, said.

"The aim of the Schengen-like visa is mainly to attract tourists  from either the GCC countries or other nations and allow them to move among the member states," he said in remarks published by Saudi daily Al Eqtisadiya on Tuesday.

"The introduction of the visa will yield impressive benefits for the Gulf economy and will boost the income of their citizens, while preserving the sovereignty of each state," the official said, adding that a unified visa system for the UAE, Oman and Qatar has proved the success of such an experience, adding that it could be expanded to encompass all the GCC states.

The official stressed that the GCC countries — the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman — need to first set up what he described as electronic linkages to keep track of all the visitors. This would facilitate the enforcement of a "GCC Schengen", the official noted.

In the European Union, the Schengen area is a group of 26 members that have abolished passport and immigration controls at their common borders.

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