GCC Citizenship workshop discusses unified passports, reducing airfares

A two-day workshop entitled “The Gulf Cooperation Council and GCC Citizenship” has been concluded by the Secretariat General of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) in Kuwait, which saw attendance of more than 200 young men and women from all the member states.

Participants stressed the importance of equality of treatment within the GCC for citizens to further the concept of the Gulf Common Market. Recommendations highlighted the importance to ensure freedom of movement, residence, and equality in work in government and private sectors for GCC citizens in the GCC states.

At the end of the workshop, participants discussed recommendations related to unified passports with the GCC-SG logo for GCC citizens as a step to unify passports in the future.

Other recommendations included the activation of GCC citizens’ windows at ports of entry, cancellation of fees imposed on domestic labourers accompanied by GCC citizens, and keeping staff of border ports of entry updated on the latest joint decisions and exempting a foreign spouse of a GCC citizen from entry permits in addition to taking care of road services and reducing the prices of airline tickets.

Participants suggested recommendations related to work in government and private sectors, practicing professions, trades and economic and investment activities, establishing companies and trading in stock markets.

They stressed the necessity to implement the joint decision related to labour nationalisation and reducing expatriate labourers.

With regards to education, healthcare and community services, the workshop recommended activating joint resolutions related to academic accreditation and quality control in tertiary education. They affirmed the necessity of establishing a GCC Students Consultative Council at universities, opening branches of the Arab Gulf University in the GCC countries, identifying young talents for planning youth programmes, and activating unified health insurance.

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