GCC citizens will soon get easier movement through the countries, with special measures such as mutual driving licence recognition, dedicated border lanes and linked security systems.
Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), highlighted the measures during a special session at the Security and History Dialogue 2026 in Riyadh on September 6.
Asked about the developments that demonstrate the GCC's shift from joint security decisions towards shared services and common systems, Albudaiwi said the bloc had achieved several measures that directly benefit Gulf citizens.
These include the mutual recognition of driving licences between GCC states, easing the movement of citizens and vehicles across the bloc; dedicated lanes for GCC citizens at land border crossings; and the electronic linking of security systems between member states, including shared traffic violation records.
For GCC nationals, mutual recognition means a driving licence issued by one member state is recognised across the bloc. This applies specifically to citizens establishing residency in a new GCC country, not short visits: a GCC licence is already valid for driving on brief trips across the bloc without any exchange needed. For those relocating, the licence is swapped for a local one rather than starting the licensing process from scratch, and in most cases without sitting a fresh driving test.
Requirements vary slightly by country. In Bahrain, for example, the Ministry of Interior's General Directorate of Traffic processes a licence replacement in a single working day for a flat fee of BD25 (around Dh244), covering a mandatory eye test and the first issuance of a five-year licence.
In Oman, the Royal Oman Police requires an approved vision test, a completed application form, copies of the residence card and original licence, and a blood group certificate, with a minimum of one year required since the original licence was issued. The UAE and Kuwait offer equivalent direct exchange services through their respective interior ministries and traffic authorities.
Coordination on driving licences between GCC states dates back to the 16th meeting of GCC interior ministers in Doha in November 1997, when member states adopted a joint traffic strategy, including standardised minimum ages for licences across the bloc: 18 for a private licence and 21 for a public or commercial one.
GCC citizens already cross the bloc's internal borders on their national ID cards, without a passport or visa. The dedicated lanes are a further step on top of that open framework.
The clearest example is the King Fahd Causeway between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, which has operated a "one-stop" system since 2018, allowing GCC citizens to complete passport and customs procedures at a single point instead of two.
Other crossings between member states, including Al Nuwaiseeb between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait and Abu Samra between Saudi Arabia and Qatar, have also introduced faster processing lanes and updated systems in recent months.
Albudaiwi said GCC states have electronically linked their security systems, including a shared database of traffic violations, allowing authorities across the bloc to exchange information, including on individuals with a record in one member state, so that record is visible to authorities in the other five. The bloc is also developing wider digital transformation projects for shared security services.
