JEDDAH, 15 May 2008 — Saudi Arabia and Qatar yesterday signed an agreement allowing their citizens to travel to each other’s country using smart ID cards instead of passports, the Saudi Press Agency said.
Interior Minister Prince Naif and his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Abdullah ibn Nasser Al-Thani signed the accord in Doha on the sidelines of a GCC interior ministers’ meeting, the agency said.
Maj. Gen. Salim Al-Belaihed, director general of the Saudi Passport Department, said the agreement would come into effect on June 14. “The accord comes in line with the resolutions taken by GGC leaders to facilitate travel of their citizens between the member countries,” he added.
Last year, the Kingdom signed a similar agreement with the United Arab Emirates. “These agreements will contribute to strengthening ties between the Gulf nationals,” said Abdul Rahman Al-Attiyah, GCC secretary-general.
“It will further integrate the economy, trade exchange and tourist activities in addition to increasing social and cultural ties,” Al-Attiyah said.
All GCC countries — Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait and the UAE — have agreed that citizens will not need a passport to travel between member countries and can use a smart card instead. Saudi Arabia has been holding talks with the GCC states to reach bilateral agreements in this regard.
Bahrain announced recently that it has completed procedures to launch the smart-card initiative. “The GCC smart card will be identical, except in format, as the stored data on the chip is readable Gulf-wide,” said Bahrain’s Minister for Cabinet Affairs Sheikh Ahmad ibn Atiyatullah Al-Khalifa while making the announcement.
Earlier, addressing the GCC interior ministers’ meeting in Doha, Prince Naif said the new developments in the region required greater security coordination and cooperation among GCC states.
He emphasized the need to develop a strong internal front to confront security challenges. “We all know that the force to confront any danger...depends on the firmness and integrity of the internal front,” he told the meeting.
Prince Naif said the majority of GCC citizens have realized the importance of protecting security. “Security, educational, intellectual and media organizations must cooperate to strengthen security and stability,” he added.
In his welcome address, Sheikh Abdullah of Qatar said the meeting’s agenda included important topics that were to be addressed considering the new developments around the world. Modernization of the GCC security strategy was one of the topics discussed by the ministers.
Al-Attiyah said GCC countries required more coordination and vigil to confront organized crimes, terrorism, drugs, smuggling, money laundering, infiltration, maritime piracy and electronic crimes. “The new security strategy will include measures to protect the youth from destructive thoughts and ideologies,” he added.
