
GCC Secretary General Jassem Mohammed al-Budaiwi announced the introduction of “Arab Schengen” for six countries in the region
Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jassem Mohammed al-Budaiwi announced the imminent launch of a single tourist visa for the six countries of the union, simplifying travel between them for foreign citizens.
AI-generated summary
The GCC Grand Tour Visa aims to simplify travel between the six member countries of the union.
The GCC Grand Tour Visa, which is called the “Arab Schengen”, will be launched soon. This promise was made by the Secretary General of the GCC, Jassem Mohammed al-Budaiwi, writes Khaleej Times.
According to al-Budaiwi, the visa will make it easier for foreigners to travel between the six member countries of the GCC union - we are talking about Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar. At the same time, he did not name the exact timing of the introduction of the “Arab Schengen” area. It is also not specified how much it will cost and how the registration process will take place.

Russian tourists were warned about the risk of Antalya airport closing due to forest fires in the Aksu and Kumluca regions. The spread of fire and heavy smoke could lead to flight delays, although the airport continues to operate as normal for now.

In the summer of 2026, Russian tourists increased the demand for recreation in small towns and nature tourism: the greatest growth was recorded in Sterlitamak (+54%) and Staraya Russa (+45%), interest also increased in Tikhvin (+42%), Kamyshin and Novomoskovsk (+40% each), which is significantly ahead of the national average, Igor Sivets from the Tutu service said at the Eastern Economic Forum.

Anapa showed an increase in tourist flows of 30–40% compared to 2025, becoming the leader in dynamics in the Krasnodar Territory due to an increase in the number of open beaches, said Alexey Volkov, president of the National Union of the Hospitality Industry.

Russian tourists need to make sure that they have insurance and familiarize themselves with its conditions before traveling to Turkey, since hospitalization without insurance can cost 1–3.5 thousand dollars per day, and in case of a serious illness or surgery - up to tens of thousands of dollars.

From January and April 2027, the cost of tickets to a number of Turkish museums for foreigners will increase by an average of 10–12%. A ticket to the Ephesus Museum will rise in price to 45 euros, to the Galata Tower - to 35 euros, and a Museumpass card - to 185 euros. This was reported by the Association of Tour Operators of Turkey.

Türkiye, Egypt and Vietnam topped the ranking of summer destinations for Russian tourists. Vietnam pushed the UAE out of the top three amid the Middle East conflict, and China showed a significant increase in demand thanks to its visa-free regime.