Russians will be offered “Arab Schengen”: advantages and disadvantages named

A project for a single visa, similar to Schengen, will be presented in December by a warm company from six countries in the Middle East region – the UAE, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain. All of them, speaking about the new unified visa regime, emphasize that Russians will be especially welcome. Although in terms of the availability of direct flights, visas and other friendliness in the current geopolitical situation, these Arab six are already the most loyal to us – for now, each individually.

But should we expect pitfalls from its unification?

The official messenger who brought the news to the Arab world about the imminent arrival of its own “Schengen” in the region was Abdullah bin Touq Al Mari, Minister of Economy of the UAE, saying that the first countries in the region to unite under the auspices of a single visa would be the member countries of the GCC and the Gulf Cooperation Council. The project will be presented this December, implementation will begin in the new year, and according to preliminary estimates, the Arab Schengen will be operational within a year. The UAE, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain believe that the opportunity to freely travel to six Gulf countries will attract new tourists to them.

“For citizens of the Russian Federation there is already a simplified form of obtaining visas to all these countries,” they comment unofficially at our diplomatic mission in Saudi Arabia. – The most difficult procedure in Saudi Arabia. You need to submit documents for an e-visa in advance, paying about 13 thousand in rubles. Russians usually get it without any problems. In other countries it is even simpler. But getting a single one for all six countries at once may be more difficult and expensive.

Indeed, today the UAE issues a visa stamp to Russians upon arrival for a period of 3 months at once; in Qatar, citizens of the Russian Federation generally receive a three-month “visa-free” visa, and in Oman, a two-week visa-free visa. Bahrain issues a visa at the entrance if a tourist arrives for a period of less than 14 days, and charges about 1.5 thousand for this in terms of rubles. And only Kuwait still requires Russian tourists, if planning a trip to their country, to appear in advance to submit documents and an interview at the consular department at the Kuwaiti embassy in Moscow.

“I’m seriously afraid that in the end this Arab Schengen will become as troublesome as a Kuwait visa,” says 52-year-old Muscovite Alla, who has been permanently living in Qatar for the last 5 years. – You need to know the local mentality. In the Middle East, they believe that good, desirable things should not be “lying on the road” – or, more simply put, should not be too accessible. Arabs are traditionally champions in refusing real Schengen visas from European countries. Therefore, they associate the word itself with an object for which they must fight, wait, hope and all that.

Judging by quotes from the Middle Eastern press, Alla is right: the leaders of the joining six emphasize that their Arab “Schengen” will work on the principle of European Schengen.

– What do you recommend? – I am appealing to a Russian tour operator selling tours to the Persian Gulf. – Should we go before it starts?

“On the contrary,” the bay manager replies. – Of course, it is profitable for us to sell more tours, taking advantage of the fact that cold weather has already arrived in Russia, making us dream of the warm sea and sun. But I must admit: we received directives. At least don’t force it.

– Not to impose what?

– Trips to the region. It’s not safe there. And if in Lebanon, where Russians have not vacationed on tour packages for a long time, we can say this openly, then sellers of tourist destinations like Cyprus, Jordan, Egypt and our six are obliged to warn everyone who wants to go to the region.

– And I heard that these countries are just safe!

– From the point of view of the fact that shells from Gaza will not reach there, yes. But unrest over the Arab-Israeli conflict is now everywhere. And the region is hot, a spark – and it flared up. Therefore, those who are going to the region for school holidays should not go! Moreover, we recently had an unpleasant incident when a Russian teenager did not speak correctly about the current conflict with a guide who understood Russian. We settled everything, but a residue, as they say, remained. Wait until it calms down. Fly to Sri Lanka, they have completely canceled visas for Russians. And as soon as everything calms down, you’ll travel across the entire Persian Gulf at once, to all six countries.

According to regional statistics, the number of visitors to the Gulf countries increased by 136.6% compared to 2021, mainly due to Russians. At the same time, the head of our diplomatic mission in Lebanon reports that there are 3,247 compatriots in the country registered with the Russian consulate, but taking into account migration throughout the region, in reality there are much more of them. This is not the first time that the Russian Ambassador calls on all of them to leave the Middle East and not risk their lives.

Published in the newspaper “Moskovsky Komsomolets” No. 29144 dated October 26, 2023

Newspaper headline:
Where will the Arab Schengen lead?