GCC Secretary-General Jasem Mohamed Al Budaiwi stated that Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, and Kuwait are close to beginning the official process for Schengen visa-free travel. A formal announcement is expected at the second EU-GCC Summit in Riyadh on October 24. Currently, the UAE is the only GCC member state whose citizens can travel to the Schengen Area without a visa.
The fourth Emirates Perfumes and Oud Exhibition and second Middle East Cosmetics Show opened at Expo Centre Sharjah. Running through October 18, the event hosts over 200 companies and 700 brands, including participants from China and the Gulf.
Saudi Arabia has extended the closure of King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh until October 17 following weekend missile and drone strikes. Regional flight cancellations reached 46.4 percent on Monday as UAE and international airlines suspended services. Concurrently, attacks on tankers near the Strait of Hormuz and fighting near Bab Al Mandab pushed Brent crude above $106 a barrel.
World leaders and international organisations condemned a Houthi strike targeting Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport on Sunday. The incident prompted official warnings to travellers, including foreign government guidance urging nationals to avoid the facility. Diplomatic officials across Europe, North America, and the Middle East expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia and demanded an end to attacks on civil aviation infrastructure.
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