What changed between the plenary report and the adopted text

Changed:6. Reaffirms that the EU remains committed to advancing a safe, mutually beneficial, visa-free travel arrangement with the five remaining GCC countries, so as to ensure equal treatment of them, which could be assessed in the context of the new EU visa strategy; notes the significant economic importance of Saudi Arabian tourists for the EU Member States, particularly in supporting key sectors such as hospitality, retail and cultural industries; underlines that Saudi citizens do not present a source of irregular migration pressure4,pressure, and therefore invites the Commission and the Member States to consider the introduction of a Schengen visa waiver once the cascade is granted to facilitate tourism, enhance people-to-people exchanges, and further strengthen economic and cultural ties between the EU and Saudi Arabia;

Changed:12. Acknowledges Saudi Arabia’s efforts to encourage de-escalation in relation to Israel’s military operations in Gaza; recalls its position expressed in its resolution of 11 September 2025 on Gaza at breaking point: EU action to combat famine, the urgent need to release hostages and move towards a two-state solution5,solution, and welcomes the New York Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the two-state solution of 29 July 2025, and its endorsement by the UN General Assembly on 12 September 2025;

Changed:29. Recognises that Saudi Arabia has made progress in tackling its high youth unemployment rate, lowering it from 35.0135,01 % in 2006 to 16 % in 2023; recommends that Saudi Arabia continue to prioritise this issue;

Changed:31. Highlights the significant progress Saudi Arabia has made regarding women’s participation in the workforce, which has risen to 36 %, and the fact that women have been granted the right to drive and to travel without male guardianship; underlines that female labour-force participation in Saudi Arabia has more than doubled since 2017; notes that Saudi Arabian women now own 45 % of small and medium-sized enterprises and 17 % of all enterprises; considers that these developments reflect the impact of legal reforms introduced since 2018, including the lifting of the driving ban6,ban, the adoption of an anti-harassment law, and new personal status regulations raising the minimum marriage age to 18 and strengthening women’s autonomy; highlights these achievements and encourages the continuation of reforms aimed at further advancing women’s rights and participation in public life, with women currently accounting for 41 % of the civil service – including senior diplomatic posts – 20 % of the membership of the Shura Council and the first Arab Muslim woman to travel to space; notes that, in spite of the progress, challenges remain, including regarding the Personal Status Law and inequality between men and women in marriage, divorce, child custody, inheritance and property rights;