The European Union plans to offer visa-free travel to Kuwaiti and Qatari citizens in one of a number of measures announced on Wednesday to ease legal migration to the bloc.
The proposal means citizens of the two Gulf countries who have biometric passports could travel to the visa-free Schengen zone for up to 90 days, replicating an agreement signed with the UAE in 2015.
The EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said the ultimate objective was for visa waivers to be extended to all members of the Gulf Co-operation Council, which would mean adding Saudi Arabia, Oman and Bahrain.
The European Commission said it would soon start technical discussions with other Gulf countries interested in such a deal to assess whether they meet the necessary criteria.
It said Kuwait and Qatar were approved because there were low risks of illegal migration and "moderate security risks stemming from the region" could be mitigated through security co-operation and checks at the EU's external borders.
No illegal border crossings by Qatari nationals have been reported in the EU since 2015, while the number from Kuwait has dropped to minimal levels and few people are refused entry from either country, a commission document said.
It cited the economic benefit of developing closer ties with the two countries, at a time when Europe is scrambling to buy energy — such as Qatari gas — from any other supplier than Russia.
The proposal put forward by the commission will have to be signed off by the governments of the 27 member states and the European Parliament before it takes effect.
“Our proposal to lift visa requirements for Qatari and Kuwaiti nationals is a first step to make it easier for people from the entire region to travel to the European Union,” said Mr Borrell.
The visa exemption would allow people into the Schengen area for business, leisure or family visits, although it would not grant the right to work in the EU.
But getting a work permit is also supposed to become easier under the wider package unveiled on Wednesday, which would allow online visa applications for the first time.
The so-called “skills and talent” package is meant to address labour shortages and help to integrate Ukrainian refugees fleeing the war with Russia, many of whom arrived in EU members Poland, Hungary and Romania.
Opening up legal pathways to the EU is a longstanding aim of the commission as it tries to reduce illegal migration, with other asylum reforms bogged down for years in negotiations between member states.
The latest proposals include the creation of an EU “talent pool” where prospective migrants can look for opportunities, which will be piloted this year as a way of finding work for Ukrainians.
Another change is that the five-year residency period needed to settle permanently in the EU can be accumulated through stays in several member states, rather than resetting to zero when someone moves within the bloc.
Migrants will be able to apply for a single work and residency permit from outside the EU and be allowed to change employer and spend up to three months unemployed without losing their status.
“While our member states are busy managing the arrival of over five million people from Ukraine, this does not preclude the need to lay the foundations of a sustainable and common approach to labour migration,” said commission vice-president, Margaritis Schinas.
About 60 countries have visa-waiver agreements with the EU, meaning their citizens can visit for any 90 days within a 180-day period without prior approval. They are still checked against national and Schengen databases when they arrive.
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
The specs
Engine: 5.2-litre V10
Power: 640hp at 8,000rpm
Torque: 565Nm at 6,500rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: From Dh1 million
On sale: Q3 or Q4 2022
'Gehraiyaan'
Director:Shakun Batra
Stars:Deepika Padukone, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Ananya Panday, Dhairya Karwa
Rating: 4/5
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
CONFIRMED%20LINE-UP
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Read more from Kareem Shaheen
Iftar programme at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding
Established in 1998, the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding was created with a vision to teach residents about the traditions and customs of the UAE. Its motto is ‘open doors, open minds’. All year-round, visitors can sign up for a traditional Emirati breakfast, lunch or dinner meal, as well as a range of walking tours, including ones to sites such as the Jumeirah Mosque or Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood.
Every year during Ramadan, an iftar programme is rolled out. This allows guests to break their fast with the centre’s presenters, visit a nearby mosque and observe their guides while they pray. These events last for about two hours and are open to the public, or can be booked for a private event.
Until the end of Ramadan, the iftar events take place from 7pm until 9pm, from Saturday to Thursday. Advanced booking is required.
For more details, email openminds@cultures.ae or visit www.cultures.ae
States of Passion by Nihad Sirees,
Pushkin Press
EA Sports FC 25
Developer: EA Vancouver, EA Romania
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
How Voiss turns words to speech
The device has a screen reader or software that monitors what happens on the screen
The screen reader sends the text to the speech synthesiser
This converts to audio whatever it receives from screen reader, so the person can hear what is happening on the screen
A VOISS computer costs between $200 and $250 depending on memory card capacity that ranges from 32GB to 128GB
The speech synthesisers VOISS develops are free
Subsequent computer versions will include improvements such as wireless keyboards
Arabic voice in affordable talking computer to be added next year to English, Portuguese, and Spanish synthesiser
Partnerships planned during Expo 2020 Dubai to add more languages
At least 2.2 billion people globally have a vision impairment or blindness
More than 90 per cent live in developing countries
The Long-term aim of VOISS to reach the technology to people in poor countries with workshops that teach them to build their own device
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs: Audi e-tron
Price, base: From Dh325,000 (estimate)
Engine: Twin electric motors and 95kWh battery pack
Transmission: Single-speed auto
Power: 408hp
Torque: 664Nm
Range: 400 kilometres
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Reputation
Taylor Swift
(Big Machine Records)
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
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The biog
Favourite book: Animal Farm by George Orwell
Favourite music: Classical
Hobbies: Reading and writing
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
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How the bonus system works
The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.
The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.
There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).
All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
In Full Flight: A Story of Africa and Atonement
John Heminway, Knopff
