Schengen-style GCC Unified Tourist Visa misses 2025 deadline: When will it finally launch? | World News

The GCC unified tourist visa will allow seamless travel across all six Gulf Cooperation Council countries/ Representative Image After months of anticipation and shifting timelines, Gulf officials have confirmed that the long-awaited unified GCC tourist visa will not launch in 2025 as earlier indicated, but will instead roll out in 2026. The clarification came in […]

Riyadh to Doha in two hours: Saudi Arabia and Qatar unveil mega electric rail project | World News

Saudi Arabia and Qatar launch 785km high speed electric rail, cutting Riyadh-Doha travel to two hours/Representative Image Saudi Arabia and Qatar have announced a landmark high speed electric rail project that will slash travel time between Riyadh and Doha to just two hours while creating more than 30,000 jobs. The ambitious 785 kilometer railway will […]

GCC approves one stop travel system to let citizens complete all travel checks at one point | World News

GCC will launch a travel system in December 2025 between UAE and Bahrain for single-checkpoint processing/Representative Image Imagine flying between Gulf countries and stepping off your plane without queues for immigration, customs, or security. That reality may soon arrive as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) launches an ambitious project to simplify regional travel, beginning with […]

Qatar and Bahrain launch mutual direct ferry service covering 35 nautical miles in 70 minutes | World News

Qatar and Bahrain launch ferry covering 35 nautical miles in 70–80 minutes, offering standard and VIP vessels/Image: Qatar MOT Across the waters of the Gulf, Qatar and Bahrain have drawn a new line of connection. A direct ferry now links Al-Ruwais Port and Sa’ada Marina, reducing the journey to just over an hour, and signalling […]

India looks at more FTAs in Gulf, GCC pact not on table

Piyush Goyal (File photo) DUBAI: After the UAE, government is looking at trade pacts with individual countries in West Asia, instead of the earlier plan for an agreement with the Gulf Cooperation Council, commerce & industry minister Piyush Goyal said Friday.“The agreement with the UAE has been the most successful trade agreement so far. The […]

Why Oman is considered the most affordable country in Gulf? | World News

Oman’s scenic landscapes and affordable living make it the top GCC destination for cost-conscious residents in 2025/ photo: pixabay Oman has been named the most affordable country to live in across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) for 2025, according to the latest Cost of Living Index released by data platform Numbeo. Long known for its […]

Middle East conflict: Could Iran’s nuclear sites turn toxic? Experts weigh risks after US and Israeli strikes

This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows the Fordo enrichment facility in Iran before U.S. strikes, Friday, June 20, 2025. (Pic credit: AP) As US and Israeli airstrikes tear through Iran’s key nuclear infrastructure, international attention is shifting to a far graver question: Are these attacks triggering nuclear contamination risks across the region?US President […]

No rise in radiation levels after US strikes on Iran, say Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and IAEA | World News

No radioactive traces have been detected in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, or the wider Gulf region following U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites, according to regional authorities and the IAEA./ Image composite: File (AP) Multiple Gulf nations have confirmed that no abnormal radiation has been detected in the region following U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear […]