GCC Summit: Customs Union, Railway Link, Unified Tourist Visa on Agenda

GCC Summit: Customs Union, Railway Link, Unified Tourist Visa on Agenda
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GCC Summit: Customs Union, Railway Link, Unified Tourist Visa on Agenda

GCC Summit: Customs Union, Railway Link, Unified Tourist Visa on Agenda

The leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council are expected to delve into prominent economic issues during the GCC’s 44th Supreme Council Summit in Doha on Tuesday.

Among the key topics to be discussed are the completion of steps towards establishing a customs union by the end of 2024, the railway project connecting member states, and the approval of the unified Gulf tourist visa project.

The GCC’s 43rd Supreme Council Summit held in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, last year, mandated the Financial and Economic Cooperation Committee to oversee the completion of steps towards establishing a customs union by the end of 2024.

This encompasses the unhindered movement of goods between GCC countries without customs or non-customs restrictions and treating goods produced in any of the GCC countries on par with national products.

Another critical agenda item for the summit is the Gulf Railway project, which was endorsed in 2003.

At that time, the leaders of the six nations tasked the Ministerial Committee of Transport and Communications with conducting an economic feasibility study for the joint railway project named the “Gulf Railway.”

The project was officially approved in 2009.

In its initial phase, the project will connect the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and the Sultanate of Oman. The second phase will witness the linkage of Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait.

During the Middle East Rail Conference held in Abu Dhabi on May 16, 2023, GCC Secretary-General Jassem Al-Budaiwi reaffirmed that the six GCC member states were going ahead with efforts to complete the railway project.

He spoke highly of the project as being a significant step towards joint integration in the Gulf region.

Furthermore, the tourist visa issue is also expected to be on the agenda of the gathering as part of the Gulf tourist visa strategy for 2023-2030.

The strategy is meant to boost the number of incoming flights into Gulf countries on an annual basis of seven percent at a time when the number of visitors hit 38.8 million last year, a growth rate of 136.6% , compared to 2021.

The target is to increase the number of tourists into Gulf countries up to 128.7 million by 2030.

The tourist visa project, which has already been approved by the interior ministers of the GCC member states, is most likely to be put in place by the end of 2025.



Etidal, Telegram Remove 30 Million Extremist Posts in Q2 2025

Etidal signals Saudi Arabia’s resolve to combat terrorism on all fronts (Etidal)
Etidal signals Saudi Arabia’s resolve to combat terrorism on all fronts (Etidal)
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Etidal, Telegram Remove 30 Million Extremist Posts in Q2 2025

Etidal signals Saudi Arabia’s resolve to combat terrorism on all fronts (Etidal)
Etidal signals Saudi Arabia’s resolve to combat terrorism on all fronts (Etidal)

Saudi Arabia’s Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology, known as Etidal, said on Monday that its joint efforts with Telegram led to the removal of more than 30.8 million pieces of extremist content and the shutdown of over 1,200 extremist channels during the second quarter of 2025.

The operation, carried out in April, May and June, is part of ongoing cooperation between the Riyadh-based center and the messaging platform to curb what both describe as “digital extremism.”

According to information seen by Asharq Al-Awsat, total removals since the partnership began in February 2022 have surpassed 207.6 million extremist items, with 17,455 channels and groups shut down.

Both parties say the collaboration reflects a continued commitment to creating a safer online environment and tackling radical propaganda.

The bulk of the removals came in June 2025, when around 18 million extremist items were taken down and 643 channels closed. In April, about 1.2 million posts were removed and 110 channels shut, while May saw 11.6 million removals and 501 closures.

These posts reportedly included messages promoting violence, hatred, and radical ideologies.

Telegram, which has long faced scrutiny over its use by extremist groups, said in a July update on its website that it has had a “zero tolerance policy for calls to violence and terrorist propaganda since 2016.” The platform publishes daily transparency reports and said its efforts to tackle extremist ideologies had been significantly bolstered through its partnership with Etidal.

It added that more than 100 million terrorism-related posts had been removed in cooperation with Etidal alone, with a peak in February 2025, when 3,851 groups were blocked in a single day.

Telegram also revealed that more than 134,000 terrorism-linked groups have been banned so far this year.

In the first quarter of 2025, the Etidal-Telegram partnership removed 16 million extremist posts and shut down 1,408 channels linked to extremist groups.

Etidal and Telegram expanded their joint operations on February 21, 2022, focusing on preventing extremist propaganda from reaching digital audiences.

The center said it remains committed to working with regional and international partners to develop advanced tools to counter evolving tactics used by radical groups.

Despite ongoing removals, Etidal warned that terrorist organizations continue to use redirect links and evasion tactics to bypass digital monitoring. In the first quarter alone, more than 1.2 million such links were identified and taken down.

Dr. Yousef Al-Rumeih, a security adviser and professor of counterterrorism at Qassim University, told Asharq Al-Awsat that recent months had seen renewed online activity by extremist groups. He called for greater digital and cybersecurity awareness, especially among youth, to counter their influence.

He stressed the importance of three layers of protection—official cybersecurity surveillance, community and family-level monitoring, and individual vigilance—to confront extremist messaging. “Reporting suspicious links to authorities is key to limiting their reach,” he said.

Founded in May 2017 by Saudi King Salman in the presence of US President Donald Trump and leaders from 55 nations, Etidal has spent eight years spearheading efforts to counter radical ideologies.

The center says it has prevented millions of extremist posts and links from reaching the public and shared its expertise with over 78 countries through international cooperation and technical visits to its Riyadh headquarters.