Regional travel up for citizens

Manama: Over 15 million Gulf citizens have travelled within the Gulf, up from 4.5 million in 1994, a study indicates.

The study prepared by the Gulf Cooperation Council Secretariat-General days before the 30th summit in Kuwait, said that the increase in the number of travellers within the Gulf was the result of open travel facility after the implementation of the customs union.

The number of Gulf citizens employed in the public sector in a different Gulf country rose from 9,500 in 2004 to 13,000 in 2008, while the number of those employed in the private sector rose from 6,000 in 1995 to 17,000 in 2008.

The study said that the 3,343 Gulf citizens received retirement benefits from other Gulf countries in 2008, up from 902 in 1995. The number of those who received social benefits went up to 3,343 from 1,428 in 1995.

The report said that the customs union established in 2003 and Gulf common market set up in 2008 have helped secure numerous accomplishments for the citizens of the Arab Gulf countries.

"These accomplishments include the right to study in public schools in any of the six GCC states, ownership of real estate, ownership of shares in any of the region's stock markets, creating joint-stock companies or carrying out any economically, investment or services-related activity," the study said.