Doha, April 16: The Qatari government has ruffled feathers and potentially endangered its business ambitions with a decision to scrap visas-on-arrival for 33 wealthy countries in favour of pre-arranged entry permits.
“This is a poorly thought-out decision by Qatar,” said David Roberts, who writes for thegulfblog.com and is working towards a PhD on Qatari foreign policy at Durham University in the UK.
Under the changes, citizens of the United Kingdom, United States and other western and Asian nations seeking a tourist visa need to provide three months of bank statements, while those seeking a business visa need a Qatari sponsor to help to make visiting arrangements. All must pay additional processing fees.
Mr Roberts predicts a drop in leisure tourism, as holidaymakers and the relatives of expatriates are put off by the additional hassle and expense. International conferences and exhibitions, which Qatar seems to host every other week, could decrease as well, as western delegates will be required to find local sponsors weeks in advance.
For businesses considering a move to the Gulf, the changes will probably make Qatar less attractive than Abu Dhabi and Dubai, which maintain the visa-on-arrival rule. Finally, for firms working in the Gulf, the visa changes may undercut regional “briefcase banking”, in which businessmen hop from Gulf state to Gulf state with regularity.
The interior ministry has given no reasons for the shift in policy. Some observers suggest that Qatar, seeking a greater international profile, is reciprocating the policies of western nations that require Qataris to obtain a visa before entry.
Others have pointed to security concerns after the assassination of a Hamas official in Dubai, in which alleged Israeli spies used counterfeit passports.
The UAE government has acknowledged increasing pressure to tighten its visa regulations since the killing. Qatar’s move could prod other GCC states to do the same.
It appears that under the new rules, expatriates living in another GCC country can gain a Qatari entry visa by proving six months’ validity on their current residence permit. But a fortnight before the changes go into effect, the rule descriptions on the websites of various Qatari embassies remained unclear. (The National)
—Agencies