Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai has issued a directive stating that citizens from five Gulf states will be allowed to enter Macau without a visa or prior entry authorisation from July 16, according to yesterday’s Official Gazette (BO).
While Sam signed the directive on June 5, it was gazetted yesterday and will take effect 30 days after its gazettal.
According to the gazette, citizens of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the State of Qatar, the State of Kuwait, the Kingdom of Bahrain, and the Sultanate of Oman will be granted visa-free entry and exemption from prior entry authorisation to the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR).
According to regulations of the Public Security Police’s (PSP) Immigration Department, the number of countries exempt from visa requirements is currently 82. Holders of valid ordinary passports or travel documents may stay in Macau for a maximum of 30 days.
The Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) has repeatedly said that it was keen to attract more visitors from the Middle East, which includes the six Gulf States, and other Islamic countries.
Citizens of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which includes Abu Dhabi and Dubai, already enjoy visa-free entry to Macau. This means that from July 16 visitors from all Gulf states will be offered visa-free entry by Macau.
The six nations are part of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and share economic, political, and cultural ties.
Map of the six states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), a regional intergovernmental political and economic union consisting of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates – Map courtesy of Furfur/Wikimedia Commons
