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GCC Secretary-General to Asharq Al-Awsat: Gulf States Advancing Unified Tourist Visa

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jassim Al Budaiwi. Photo: Website of the World Economic Forum’s special meeting in Riyadh
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jassim Al Budaiwi. Photo: Website of the World Economic Forum’s special meeting in Riyadh
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GCC Secretary-General to Asharq Al-Awsat: Gulf States Advancing Unified Tourist Visa

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jassim Al Budaiwi. Photo: Website of the World Economic Forum’s special meeting in Riyadh
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Jassim Al Budaiwi. Photo: Website of the World Economic Forum’s special meeting in Riyadh

Gulf Cooperation Council Secretary-General Jassim Al Budaiwi confirmed that GCC nations are working towards introducing a unified Gulf visa for global travelers.

Al Budaiwi mentioned that during their recent summit in Doha, Gulf leaders greenlit a single tourist visa for the region.

They urged the General Secretariat, along with member states, especially the Ministry of Interior representatives, to fast-track its implementation.

This move aims to allow any international visitor to explore the Gulf countries with just one visa.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum’s special meeting in Riyadh, Al Budaiwi expressed hope that this step would boost regional tourism and save travelers time and money.

Recent data shows that the travel and tourism sector contributed 7.8% to the GDP of GCC countries in 2022. They aim to raise this to 10% in the future.

Al Budaiwi confirmed progress on the unified visa, with discussions in their final stages among Gulf countries. He stressed the need for careful consideration due to security and technical concerns.

Regarding trade agreements, Al Budaiwi mentioned completed deals with Pakistan and South Korea last year and a recent one with Türkiye.

Talks are ongoing for a trade agreement with the UK, with discussions planned in the next two weeks.

Talks with the EU have been on hold for over a decade, but both sides are interested in resuming discussions.

“A delegation from the GCC General Secretariat will visit to initiate preliminary discussions, not negotiations, with EU representatives,” said Al Budaiwi.

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EU, US Reportedly Near Critical Minerals Deal to Combat Chinese Control

FILE PHOTO: A block with the symbol, atomic number and mass number of Dysprosium (Dy), a heavy rare earth, in this illustration taken January 21, 2026. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A block with the symbol, atomic number and mass number of Dysprosium (Dy), a heavy rare earth, in this illustration taken January 21, 2026. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
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EU, US Reportedly Near Critical Minerals Deal to Combat Chinese Control

FILE PHOTO: A block with the symbol, atomic number and mass number of Dysprosium (Dy), a heavy rare earth, in this illustration taken January 21, 2026. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A block with the symbol, atomic number and mass number of Dysprosium (Dy), a heavy rare earth, in this illustration taken January 21, 2026. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

The European Union and Washington are closing in on an agreement to coordinate on producing and securing critical minerals, Bloomberg News reported on Friday.

The potential deal would include incentives such as minimum price guarantees that could favor non-Chinese suppliers, the report said, citing an "action plan".

The EU and US would also ⁠cooperate on standards, investments ⁠and joint projects, along with increased coordination on any supply disruptions by countries like China, the report added.

The European Commission declined to comment on the report. The office of the ⁠US Trade Representative did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment.

EU trade commissioner Maros Sefcovic said in March he had a "very positive" meeting with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on the sidelines of a World Trade Organization ministerial meeting in Cameroon, where the two sides agreed to further advance work on ⁠critical ⁠minerals and also discussed tariffs.

The EU-US deal would cover “critical minerals along the entire value chain and life-cycle management, including exploration, extraction, processing, refining, recycling and recovery,” Bloomberg reported, citing a non-binding memorandum of understanding.

The US has been scrambling to get access to critical mineral reserves, especially rare earth supply chains currently dominated by Chinese players.

Business

Gold Set for Third Weekly Gain as US Rate Outlook Offsets Dollar Strength

FILE PHOTO: Customers crowd around a jewelry showroom during Akshaya Tritiya, a major gold-buying festival, in Kochi, India April 28, 2017. REUTERS/Sivaram V/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Customers crowd around a jewelry showroom during Akshaya Tritiya, a major gold-buying festival, in Kochi, India April 28, 2017. REUTERS/Sivaram V/File Photo
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Gold Set for Third Weekly Gain as US Rate Outlook Offsets Dollar Strength

FILE PHOTO: Customers crowd around a jewelry showroom during Akshaya Tritiya, a major gold-buying festival, in Kochi, India April 28, 2017. REUTERS/Sivaram V/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: Customers crowd around a jewelry showroom during Akshaya Tritiya, a major gold-buying festival, in Kochi, India April 28, 2017. REUTERS/Sivaram V/File Photo

Gold steadied on Friday as US-Iran ceasefire uncertainty lingered, but the metal stayed on course for a third consecutive weekly climb as investors priced in earlier and deeper US rate cuts, supporting non-yielding bullion.

Spot gold held its ground at $4,764.54 per ounce by 0532 GMT. The metal, however, has gained 1.8% so far this week.

US gold futures for June delivery fell 0.6% to $4,787.80.

The ‌dollar index strengthened, ‌making greenback-priced bullion more expensive for holders of other currencies, Reuters said.

"There's ‌a ⁠lack of clarity ⁠about the way that the ceasefire is evolving in the Middle East and what that means to energy markets... so we're in sort of a little bit of a holding pattern (with gold) going into the final session of the week," said Kyle Rodda, senior financial market analyst at Capital.com.

Spot gold has fallen about 10% since the US-Israel conflict with Iran ⁠erupted on February 28, with elevated energy prices sparking ‌inflation concerns and the prospect of ‌higher US interest rates.

The fragile two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran showed further ‌strain on Friday, as Washington accused Tehran of breaching promises on ‌the Strait of Hormuz.

Brent crude, however, has slid more than 11% this week on optimism that the ceasefire could reopen the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas passes.

"If things break down, (gold) ‌could end up back in mid-$4,000's pretty quickly. But if the ceasefire holds and the peace deal starts ⁠to look more ⁠likely, then we could push through $5,000," Rodda added.

On the data front, the US Personal Consumption Expenditures index, the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge, advanced 2.8% in the 12 months through February, in line with estimates, and likely rose further in March.

Investors are now looking out for March's US Consumer Price Index data, due later in the day, for further clues on Fed's monetary policy direction.

Markets are pricing in a 31% chance for a US rate cut of at least 25 basis points at the Fed's December meeting, according to CME's FedWatch Tool, up from 20% in the prior session.

Among other metals, spot silver rose 1.3% to $76.03 per ounce, platinum lost 2% to $2,061.10, and palladium fell 0.2% to $1,553.92.

Business

Saudi Business Confidence Index Remains Optimistic

A street in the Saudi capital, Riyadh (Reuters)
A street in the Saudi capital, Riyadh (Reuters)
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Saudi Business Confidence Index Remains Optimistic

A street in the Saudi capital, Riyadh (Reuters)
A street in the Saudi capital, Riyadh (Reuters)

Saudi Arabia’s Business Confidence Index remained in optimistic territory at 52.1 points in March, underscoring private sector resilience despite geopolitical challenges.

The index fell from 60.7 in February but stayed above the neutral 50 threshold, reflecting continued confidence in stable economic activity and sustained growth across key sectors, according to the General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT).

A statement released by GASTAT said that the BCI for the industrial sector recorded 50.8 points, maintaining an optimistic level despite a decline of 15.8 percent compared to February.

The BCI for the services sector recorded 52.0 points, maintaining an optimistic level despite a decline of 14.9 percent compared to February, it said.

Regarding the BCI in the construction sector, the data revealed that in March, it recorded an optimistic level at 53 points, confirming the continued positive confidence among establishments in the sector, the statement added.