Middle Nation Regions Briefing: GCC Integration & Saudi-Pakistan Security Pact

Solving problems requires patience, sacrifice, compromise, vision, endurance, realism, ruthless focus, and determination. Assalamu alaikom and welcome back everybody. Today we are joined by Sister Samira, our middle in Region Reed. She's going to speak to us about two key developments that are shaping the region right now. First, we look at JCC integration and the unified Visa initiative and what it could mean for seamless travel and shared tourism growth across the globe.

And then we'll be talking about the Saudi Pakistan security path and its potential connection to Bricks, a deal that could signal new directions in regional defense and global alignment. This is Samira. Always a pleasure to have you with us. Let's start with the first topic. How closely are the unified visa and the GCC railway project aligned?

Is the long term goal to allow a traveler to move seamlessly across all six countries using both mechanisms? That is the visa and the railroad. Okay.

Thank you so much, sister Anisa. Mohammed. Right. So yeah. So today's topic about the unified visa.

Well, how it came about was that there has been an interview with the local news outlets by The UAE minister of economy and tourism where he stated that the GCC unified visa is going to be piloted this month starting this well, this quarter, he said. So it starts in this month, basically. And it it this was confirmed even by the GCC secretary general earlier that there is an initiative to, to start this unified g GCC unified visa. So the unified visa, what it is is that it is usually compared to Europe's Schengen visa, you know, where they are where visitors are allowed to just travel within the the continent in Europe in in in Europe's case. And in this case, it's going to be within the six GCC countries.

So the GCC countries are made up of Saudi Arabia, The Emirates, UAE, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, and Bahrain. So they any visitor would be able to visit the any of these six countries using a single, permit. And so the initiative was, approved by the GCC, ministers, in 2053, I think, yeah, in Muscat, and it was really hailed as a milestone achievement. But now that you mentioned about and and then there is the railway, the GCC railway project. So these two, the unified visa and the GCC railway, projects, they are, the conceptual level, they are aligned.

However, they are not operationally integrated. So I just wanted to say that the GCC railway project was first conceptualized in 2009, while this, unified rail unified visa was only, agreed on in 2023. And, funny enough, it's the unified visa that's going to be, starting soon while the GCC railway project is going is planned to be completed by end of, '22 2030. Yeah. By December 2030.

However, the thing that we need to realize here is that those those initiatives, they fit within the GCC's broader strategy for, you know, for regional integration, and they are aiming to connect, you know, physical, economic, and regulatory systems across the those states that I mentioned, the six states. So in the long term, the goal is to allow travelers to enter any GCC country under one visa and move freely across all six using interoperable transport systems including the future railway. Now some people, might this might seem, you know, non consequential, but the unified visa, it if it allows if it allows tourists to ex if if it allow ex tourists to explore the entire, Gulf region, it means it, allows them with minimal, administrative barriers, you know, to, to move around. And instead of applying, for six separate visas, travelers will really have to just apply once, and then it allows them to access all the member states. Now we have to remember another thing that it aligns example, for Saudi Arabia, it aligns perfectly with which with its vision 2030, because that vision aims for like, it has a goal to attract 150,000,000 visitors annually.

At this moment, I think they have reached already 116,000,000 visitors annually. But the GCC grad tourist tourism visa will support this goal, and it will strengthen the region's global competitiveness by positioning it as one connected tourism regional destination rather than, you know, a set of fragmented markets. And for those non GCC nations nationals who are residing in the region like myself, this unified visa, it really would simplify, the intra GCC travels because it will encourage people to people interaction, and it will facilitate cross border family members living across or within, the GCC and cultural, extremes. So it would also enrich the social life of ex parte residents who currently face multiple travel, barriers. So so the unified visa and the regional integration using the Gulf Ray projects are both catalysts for the regional integration that the region is is actually aiming for.

So yeah. So that's that's basically I hope that answers your questions, mister Lisa.

Yes. Yes. It is something I I I do see that we would encourage, the tourism pool. Those lesser known or those that are not on the top spots or first choice for people across the globe. Do you see this railway project or the railway as a way to redistribute tourism more evenly across the region?

So right now, destinations like Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Saudi Arabia dominate, like I just mentioned, while Kuwait and Oman attract far fewer visitors and tourism dollars. So do you think that this would, result in that kind of thing?

Yes. I get what you mean. But we have to also, see it in the in in a in a way that while the initial envision well, envision vision was to for regional connectivity, and to enhance trade, logistics, mobility across the member states, this is for the GCC rail. So the initial vision was really economic, more for economic integration. You know?

The it tourism has not was not really part of it. This is with regards to the GCC rail, because as I said, it was up earlier on in 2009. However, today, if we look at it, it could also serve to distribute tourism more evenly by linking major destinations, as you mentioned. So it could link the Kuwait and Oman to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Saudi, Qatar. And with the with the introduction of the unified visa as well, the railway's potential has grown exponentially, like, significantly because it will allow mass land transportation, and people will be able to move more freely across the borders.

However, for this to also succeed, there needs to be, you know, investments, complementary investments, not only on the infrastructure, but the marketing aspects of it and the local attractions need to also be in place in those less visited states. But you also have to know something about the region is that each countries within this GCC, they have their own yeah. How can I say? They have their own marketing strategies. For example, The UAE, it attracts, you know, kind of the luxury hub or the business hub or you know, where people go there to see the to experience luxury and, you know, to to or entrepreneurship, businesses, and all this.

Saudi Arabia, it's more on has got a number of things because it has just recent recently opened to the world, and therefore, architectural wonders, visitors who are more interested in archaeological sites are coming in. Religious tourism has always been there, but it's even has been boosted even more. There are now, way more, ways to, do Amrah and Hajj, and therefore which are the two sites in Saudi Arabia. Of course, there is the Al Ulla, Niom, and other cultural areas that, it attracts. And so, Qatar has got its experiences, you know, the sports destination.

So it markets itself as as still. Oman is more into nature. You know? It's the wild mountains. It's coastlines.

It's heritage village. So it attracts a certain type of tourists, and therefore, if they are they they if they are able to market it in such a way, then they will be able to capture some of those travelers who mainly, go to UAE and and Saudi Arabia. And so, the same thing for Bahrain and Kuwait. They're just trying to emerge as a tourism destination, and they are developing a niche focus, you know, a niche, within, the the region.

I love that you highlight how each of these countries, they do offer something different to tourists. I mean, there's diversity in that. And that is excellent because, you know, each one would have their own appeal to different people looking for different experiences. Beyond the physical railway, is the coordinated GCC plan, so to say, to develop tourism infrastructure in the less visited states like Kuwait and Oman. And although they do offer, like, you know, like you mentioned, nature and there is that characteristics that they do offer that is obviously less developed, like nature wouldn't be as developed as what you'll find in Saudi Arabia, but it would still need infrastructure that is that would still house tourists.

So for instance, will there be shared investment or funding mechanisms to build hotels, transport systems, digital tourism networks, for example, in those countries. Because once this visa takes off and once people are interested in visiting those less visited countries, there would be a need to accommodate these people. So do you think there is or is there something in place like that?

I could not find a lot of things that where there is a specific coordinated GCC investment mechanism, you know, specifically aimed at that at such kind of, what do call, funding, tourism infrastructure, especially in the less visited states. But the thing is there is no shortage of funding really in the GCC. Rather, it's the current the current focus is really mainly on achieving regional integration. So all the focus is currently to to, to integrate the region first, through a shared mobility and policy alignment, after which maybe after which, actually, that which is what is happening is each country then will continue to develop its local tourism economy. Just like I said, how Iran is trying to promote its authentic nature destination, you know, attracting the travelers seeking nature and cultural experiences.

Saudi is the same. If if I don't know, I also posted it in the country's region. If you check it, the Saudi's it's it has launched the the, what you call, the King Salman Gate project in Saudi Arabia, which is really a mega multi multiuse development, which is beside the Grand Mosque in Mecca, and, it covers 12,000,000 in test care of residential, cultural, and service facilities. Yeah. And they will be accommodating 900,000, worshipers.

So this is all a national project. So it's funded by Saudi in Saudi. So each country is is developing their own niche while at the at the regional level, they're trying to create an integrated system, a shared mobility system, and a policy alignment that will help them, or motivate them or, you know, it will become a catalyst to develop their tourism sector. So the and in at the end, the the the problem, the GCC is not was never, it was not, due to shortage of funding, but more, there was, you know, there wasn't any integration. But now, the focus is on achieving serious regional integration, that will help to accelerate the development of each of those nation within the GCC.

Sure, Karan. I'd like us to move on to the next chart. So while the GCC is working to unite with Finland, Saudi Arabia is also building bridges beyond The Gulf. The Saudi Pakistan strategic defense agreement marks a significant move. And it's an interesting pivot.

Saudi Arabia's choice of Pakistan for this agreement signals a shift in its security strategy, moving beyond the reliance on America. Why did Saudi Arabia choose Pakistan for this defense back, and what does it gain from it?

Yes. So last month, I see I think in September, yes. So for the last month in September, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, as you mentioned, they signed a strategic mutual defense agreement, s m b a, during the visit of prime minister Sherif Turiyadh, and they both pledged that aggression against the one would be treated as an attack on both. So this is indeed, as you mentioned, a significant step forward in bilateral relationship. But then, if you look deeper, the two countries have long, long maintained, you know, warm and multifaceted ties.

And, you know, Pakistani officers have been training have been providing training adviser support, you know, to Saudi forces. They have been providing even manpower to Saudi forces, while Riyadh has repeatedly extended financial aid and investment to Saudi to in sorry, Islamabad. So the partnerships, they rested really, on a number of factors, and and the important thing is that there has been a deep cooperation between these two countries even before the pact, and it rests on a deep religious and political affinities because both states see themselves as pivotal actors in the Muslim world. So by selecting Pakistan, I think the kingdom is strengthening the ties with the only Muslim majority nuclear power. So given its security doctrine, added strategic depth and, deterrence credibility.

So this alignment, it's building really, it's built on existing defense framework, but it has just been elevated into a, you know, a formal, defense act or a formal mutual defense commitment. So the fact, the the one thing that really strikes us strike me was the fact that it was signed just few days after the Israeli attack on on Doha in Qatar. And as you know, Qatar hosts the biggest US base. And so this has this attack has given the studies, the pretext, basically, to say, you know what? We are we feel unsafe.

This the the American, are not guarantors of our safety. So, yeah, I'm I'm gonna go ahead and just, sign the pact with my long standing, partner, you know, Ali ally, Pakistan. And so they publicly up their ties with Pakistan, and we are this way, they signaled their intent to assert strategic autonomy. And so they are this way, by doing this this, they are saying to the west, basically, we can't rely on your on your your word or on your capacity or or even on your promise to protect the region. And this gave Saudi Arabia a significant strategic operational and political advantage with their, you know, with the with this, defense back that they did with Pakistan.

And, for operationally, the agreement, it opens really a whole new avenues for joining for joint training, intelligence sharing, defense technology. It enables the modernization of Saudi forces and the diversification of its, defense partners beyond way beyond the traditional, western, suppliers. So politically, as well, the fact enhances the, leverage negotiation with The United States or any other powers signaling that, you know, it is no longer solely dependent on, on Washington for its security needs. So the Saudi Pakistan, part, it represents really more than bilateral cooperation between these two countries because it has it has shifted The Gulf's security architecture. Riyadh is now moving towards a multipolar strategy.

You know? They are trying to balance the relationship with Washington, Beijing, and other regional partners. And this fact is really reshaping the security alignment, continue to explore similar partnership beyond the the The US orbit. So it's it's the it's a it's really a timely and and perfect defense fact that has occurred right right after a few days after this fact that the Israelis have have committed in Qatar and which gave it I feel that it it it was a perfect pretext for for just to happen and for Saudi to shift towards the the the the global stuff.

I'm also of the opinion that it is a very strategic it's a smart move from Saudi Arabia because it is always important to not have all your eggs in one basket. But also when you are dealing with The United States Of America, there's a guarantee that you are actually not a true ally, true friend or whatever. You you cannot trust The United States Of America. That's basically what I'm trying to say. Now while currently this agreement is a bilateral agreement, the PEP uses NATO style language, raising speculation about whether it could expand into a regional security alliance.

Now could this bilateral agreement evolve into a large security alliance with other Muslim or Asian countries?

Well, I hope so. Yes. But there are evidences, actually. There are a number of evidences that does show that this, bilateral agreement could definitely, involve far more people, far more countries, especially Muslim countries, because it opened the way. It opened the the door, let's say.

The timing, as as we mentioned, was, excellent, and and so, it does open the door to, almost all the countries, all the regional countries, and, other Muslim and Asian countries to to seek to be part of this alliance. And there are evidence such as, the the prime the I think the Pakistani defense minister, he explicitly actually said that other Arab states could join the pact over time. So this kind of signals that the the current bilateral framework or the the the architecture, it could it could possibly be built with the with the expansion in mind. So they are expecting others to to join, and therefore, the architecture could have been the bilateral agreement could have been opened to allow such additional members to join. And then as you mentioned, the NATO style language and, you know, how they were framing it, the especially with the clause, any aggression against either country shall be considered assault on both.

It's basically, it echoes NATO's act article five, and many honest analysts have said that it has led them to call it as a Islamic NATO in the making, end quote. So, yeah, it does echo a NATO type of, language. And this shared defense wording, it sets it, a rhetorical and normative basis for future multilateral security structures. So there you have it. And then there is the other thing that analysts are saying is that they are noting that the agreement introduces, you know, the concept of extended deterrence.

So extended deterrence is where a third party a third party, you know, defense a country that is not its own. So where Pakistan's strategic assets then, in this case, could be used to deter or de you know, to defend, not just itself, but its partners. And in this case, it's Saudi, but it could be anyone with how the with the way that this this framework is created. And this could become, you know, the model for other Muslims or Asian states, as you mentioned. You know, they can go ahead and seek similar guarantees from Pakistan.

So Saudi Arabia basically positioned Pakistan as this this this partner that could be that could provide an extended deterrence in the region.

Excellent. Now Pakistan has been looking to strengthen its global partnerships and position itself within non western blocs like Brits. So how does this view affect Pakistan's standing in the Brits bloc and the broader multipolar world?

Right. So there is, yeah, there is also a talk of, Pakistan being the link to China, for Saudi. And this fact, this agreement, it does reinforce Islamabad's long term pivot towards the South, towards the multipolar, towards towards non western order, you know, towards BRICS. So Pakistan's you know, because Pakistan has a relationship with China under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor, c p c CPEC. So Pakistan's deepening defense partnership with Riyadh would complement its strategic alliance with Beijing under this this this CPEC.

So China views Saudi Arabia, you know, as a key belt and role partner and a potential BRICS expansion candidate, and Pakistan role would then be the military bridge between Arab world and China, and thus it gains new relevance. You know? So the trade there could be a trade between China and Saudi through, through Pakistan and especially in terms of the military, equipments. So the pact enables Pakistan to position itself as a security security intermediary, you know, between The Gulf and the broader Bricks ecosystem, and it would then this way, it would link the Chinese infrastructure investment with the Saudi financial and defense ambitions. So but, yeah, what Pakistan or Islamabad, this means that it strengthens its credential, and it can be considered as a global secure a global soft security partner that can operate within the Chinese aligned framework while drawing on, you know, the capital and the political influence of the GCC or the or the Arab world or Saudi.

So for Beijing, the growing Saudi Pakistan access complements its effort to, you know, to knit together an alternative architecture of energy, trade, defense, and even connectivity that bypasses the western dominance. That's what Beijing has been looking for, how to basically get into the Saudi without by, you know, bypassing with while bypassing the the western dominance in that area, and and that would then be enabled by this, defense deal, which elevates Pakistan from just being, you know, a corridor state under the CPEC, the strategic link, in the emerging China Gulf and BRICS triangle. So it amplifies the geographical relevance in this, multipolar world, which is, as you mentioned, earlier, is what Pakistan has been always seeking. Remember, BRICS BRICS India is one of the BRICS countries. And so Pakistan has always been trying to also be part of this global partnership, Bricks, and this is definitely one way through which it can amplify its its geopolitical relevance.

Yeah.

Sister Samira for your insights. And to our listeners, thank you for tuning in and being part of the conversation with your comments, likes, and shares. We've come to an end of today's briefing. Also, very important before we leave, please follow Shahid King Bolson on YouTube for more in-depth discussions. That's his brand new YouTube channel.

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