Crises are sometimes a good thing. They force governments to take radical decisions, especially when a country's economy or prosperity is at stake. The severing of diplomatic relations with Qatar by theSaudi Arabia, Bahrain, l'Egyptthe United Arab Emirates and the Yemen has effectively isolated the micro-Emirate geographically. But it has also frightened off potential visitors, who now fear finding themselves in a State hit by shortages.
There are certainly economic consequences for the Emirate but they are not very visible to visitors. The country's enormous gas resources - Qatar is the world's leading exporter of liquefied gas - are in fact injecting cash to counter its isolation. New sea routes have been opened up with theIran and the country even imported on 90 flights 4,000 cows to secure dairy products. According to experts, the Central Bank of Qatar has reserves estimated at 35 billion dollars while Qatar's sovereign wealth funds manage an asset portfolio estimated at 320 billion dollars...
Visitors can check that almost everything is normal in Doha. Last week, Qatar announced that it was offering a free visa citizens of 80 countries. 33 of these countries, including most of theEuropean Unionget a visa valid for 180 dayscitizens of other countries may reside in Qatar up to 30 days. Visitors will be able to make several visits a year, with the visa being multi-entry. Visitors are only required to have a passport valid for at least six months and a return ticket.
The announcement was confirmed by the Ministry of the Interior in cooperation with Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) and Qatar Airways. Qatar has also launched a e-visa online service on which visitors interested in a stay in the emirate can make their arrangements in advance. The service is available at www.qatarvisaservice.com.
the most open country in the Gulf
According to the CEO of Qatar Airways, Akbar Al Baker, " the abolition of visas for 80 countries worldwide makes it the most open country in the Gulf".. In November 2016, Qatar had already launched a free 96-hour visa for passengers in transit for at least five hours in Doha, with the aim of promoting short stays. In the first half of 2017, the total number of tourists in the country jumped by 39% compared to the same period in 2016.
