Saudi Arabia has opened its doors to all GCC citizens wanting to work, buy property or study in the Kingdom in a bid to accelerate economic integration in the region, it was reported on Wednesday.
The Kingdom’s Council of Ministers made the decision to drop all restrictions relating to GCC citizens working and living in Saudi, at a meeting chaired by King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz on Monday evening.
The ruling means all GCC citizens will have the same rights under Saudi law as nationals, to pursue vocational, commercial, investment and service activities in the Kingdom, according to UAE daily Gulf News.
The move comes a year after a decision at the 28th Supreme Council of GCC leaders in Doha to establish a GCC Common Market .
It also follows an earlier decision in the Kingdom to allow GCC citizens to practice retail and wholesale trade under the same rules and regulations as Saudis.
The finer details of what the common market will actually look like have yet to be ironed out, such as how labour and cargo will be moved between countries.
However, the Supreme Council has already decided that the common market will be applicable in 10 areas.
These include transportation and residence, work in the public and private sector, social insurance and pension, practising professions and vocations and taking part in all types of economic, investment and services.
Possession of real estate, transfer of capital, tax transactions, trading of stocks and establishing of companies, plus attending educational facilities and uing of health and social services are also part of the common market plan.
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