World
16:58, 11-Aug-2017
Qatar offers visa-free entry for tourists of 80 nationalities
["other","Middle East"]
Share
Copied
Hassan Al Ibrahim, Chief Tourism Development Officer at the Qatar Tourism Authority on Wednesday announced that his country will offer free visas on arrival to citizens from 80 countries, including China, Russia and Turkey.
Nationals of the 33 nations, including most of the Schengen zone countries, can obtain a visa that allows them to spend up to 90 days in Qatar.
Nationals of 47 other countries including China, Russia, the UK and the US, receive multi-entry visit visas on arrival for 30 days, which can be extended for a further 30 days.
The latest move is an attempt to open the country to visitors and encourage people to visit Qatar, and comes as the country is suffering economically in the wake of a boycott from four other Gulf countries.
Two US envoys arrived in Kuwait on Monday for negotiations between Qatar and its neighbors. Kuwait is also trying to work out “a set of measures” to help create dialogue opportunities between the nations.
Analysts expect mediation to be the only solution to the crisis, with the next two months being a key period for both sides before they can return to the negotiation table.