His Excellency Mr Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), witnessed the launch of the first phase of the "Single Entry Point for Air Travel" project between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Kingdom of Bahrain on Tuesday, February 17, 2026. The ceremony took place at Bahrain International Airport, where His Excellency reviewed the operational procedures for the first phase before traveling to Zayed International Airport to monitor the field implementation of the pilot project.
"This launch comes in implementation of the resolution passed by Their Highnesses and Excellencies, the GCC Ministers of Interior, at their 42nd meeting held in the State of Kuwait in November 2025. This resolution underscored the importance of enhancing integration in travel procedures and developing security and technical connectivity systems among the GCC states," His Excellency explained.
His Excellency noted that this Gulf project aims to facilitate the movement of GCC citizens and residents by enabling pre-registration for entry procedures at the departure airport. "This allows for the advance completion of passport control and security verification, ensuring a smoother and faster arrival experience," His Excellency stated.
Furthermore, His Excellency Mr Albudaiwi said that this phase of the project embodies the advanced level of technical integration and institutional coordination between the competent authorities in the two brotherly countries. He praised the significant efforts made to ensure the success of this trial, emphasising that the success of the first phase reflects the GCC states' ability to implement qualitative initiatives that strengthen joint Gulf action.
"In light of the results of this initial phase, the mechanism for implementing the project with the remaining GCC states will be studied according to each country's readiness. This contributes to facilitating the movement of citizens and residents and enhancing the flow of traffic between Council states, achieving the directives of Their Majesties and Highnesses, the leaders of the GCC states in supporting the journey of Gulf integration," His Excellency concluded.
