The first phase of a one-stop air travel system between Bahrain and the UAE will begin from today.
It will enable the completion of all travel procedures at a single point, without the need for repeated inspection procedures.
The Cabinet session – chaired by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, at Gudaibiya Palace yesterday – welcomed the launch of the first phase.
The initiative is part of a major GCC travel plan designed to introduce seamless connection between member states.
Bahrain and the UAE are the two nations selected to trial the first phase of the project, which aims to improve connectivity and cut down on airport waiting times.
The first phase will apply to Gulf Air and Etihad Airways flights for citizens travelling between Bahrain International Airport and Zayed International Airport, Abu Dhabi.
The launch implements a decision issued by GCC Interior Ministers at their 42nd meeting in Kuwait in November last year. GCC Secretary General Jasem Al Budaiwi announced the initiative during the meeting.
If successful, the system would be expanded to all six GCC member states, he said.
Under the project, travellers would only need to complete immigration and security checks at the airport their flight originates from, and would not be required to carry out the same procedures on arrival at their final destination, The National newspaper reported at that time.
Assuming the pilot scheme is deemed a success, the system will extend to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar, making cross-Gulf travel almost as simple as domestic flights.
Plans for a unified GCC visa were first approved in 2023 in a bid to streamline travel logistics across the bloc, inspired by the EU’s Schengen system.
&uuid=(email))