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Oman to Give Visa-Free 10-Day Entry to 103 Countries to Boost Tourism

Oman last week said it would resume granting tourist visas to people visiting on trips arranged by hotels and travel companies. (AFP)
Oman last week said it would resume granting tourist visas to people visiting on trips arranged by hotels and travel companies. (AFP)
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Oman to Give Visa-Free 10-Day Entry to 103 Countries to Boost Tourism

Oman last week said it would resume granting tourist visas to people visiting on trips arranged by hotels and travel companies. (AFP)
Oman last week said it would resume granting tourist visas to people visiting on trips arranged by hotels and travel companies. (AFP)

Oman will exempt nationals of 103 counties from needing an entry visa for a stay of up to 10 days, police said on Wednesday, in a move to support tourism and shore up its struggling economy.

Visitors must have a confirmed hotel reservation, health insurance and a return ticket, Royal Oman Police said on its Twitter account.

“Nationals of 103 counties are exempted from entry visas into the Sultanate for a period of ten days,” it said.

Oman last week said it would resume granting tourist visas to people visiting on trips arranged by hotels and travel companies, after they were suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Gulf state resumed international flights on Oct. 1, but only citizens and people holding valid existing residency and work visas could enter.

Oman, rated sub-investment grade by all major credit rating agencies, faces a widening deficit and large debt maturities in coming few years. It has recently embarked on a new fiscal plan to wean itself off its dependence on oil revenues.

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Gulf

Kuwaiti Emir Affirms Support for Saudi Efforts to Implement Two-State Solution

Kuwaiti Emir, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah (KUNA)
Kuwaiti Emir, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah (KUNA)
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Kuwaiti Emir Affirms Support for Saudi Efforts to Implement Two-State Solution

Kuwaiti Emir, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah (KUNA)
Kuwaiti Emir, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah (KUNA)

Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah stressed on Sunday the need to halt violence in the Gaza Strip, provide international protection for innocent civilians, and secure safe corridors for urgent humanitarian aid.
The Emir reaffirmed full support for the Saudi leadership in the efforts aimed at recognizing the State of Palestine within the framework of the international coalition to implement the two-state solution.
During the opening speech of the 45th Gulf Summit hosted by Kuwait, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad reiterated his condemnation of the brutal Israeli occupation of the occupied Palestinian land and the successive genocides against the Palestinian people.
“We urge the international community, particularly the UN Security Council, to fulfill its responsibilities by ensuring the implementation of relevant resolutions, halting the violence, providing international protection for innocent civilians, and securing safe corridors for urgent humanitarian aid,” he said.
The Emir then emphasized Kuwait's firm stance in support of the Palestinian people and their cause in establishing an independent state within the June 4, 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with relevant international resolutions.
Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad also hit out at what he described as the “double standards in the application of relevant international laws, charters and resolutions,” which led to “the spread of the Israeli occupation and the destabilization of the region's security and stability.”
He then referred to Lebanon, Syria and Iran as being “repeatedly attacked by Israeli occupation forces.”
“We reaffirmed full support for all contributions of the GCC countries to the stability of the region, including the leadership of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the efforts aimed at recognizing the State of Palestine within the framework of the international coalition to implement the two-state solution, in addition to hosting the joint Arab-Islamic follow-up summit,” the Kuwaiti Emir said.
He also commended Qatar, Egypt, and the US for their mediation efforts in achieving a ceasefire in Gaza and welcomed the ceasefire in Lebanon as a step toward deescalation.
The Emir then reaffirmed his call to Iraq to rectify the legal status of the agreement regulating maritime navigation in Khor Abdullah, resume the meetings of the technical teams associated with it, and return to work in accordance with the 2008 Security Exchange Protocol.
“Additionally, we urge the resumption of meetings of the joint legal technical teams to complete the demarcation of the Kuwaiti-Iraqi maritime borders beyond boundary point number 162 in accordance with international law and UN’s Convention on 1982 Law of the Sea,” the Emir said
At the Gulf level, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad stressed that the 45th Gulf Summit is being held in extremely complex circumstances that requires the member states to accelerate the achievement of economic integration.
“This necessitates accelerating our efforts to achieve GCC economic integration through unified policies, diversification of non-traditional income sources, facilitation of trade and investment, and support for local industries,” he said.
“It is also vital to expand innovation and entrepreneurship, especially in emerging fields such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), to enhance the competitiveness of our economies regionally and globally,” the Emir added.