DOHA: Qatar announced on Wednesday aprogramme to allow visa-free entry for citizens of 80 countriesto encourage air transport and tourism amid a two-month boycottimposed on the Gulf state by its neighbors.
Nationals from dozens of countries in Europe and elsewhereincluding India, Lebanon, New Zealand, South Africa, and theUnited States only need present a valid passport to enter thegas-rich country which hosts the soccer World Cup in 2022.
Nationals of 33 countries will be allowed to stay for 180days and the other 47 for up to 30 days.
"The visa exemption scheme will make Qatar the most opencountry in the region," Hassan al-Ibrahim, Chief TourismDevelopment officer at Qatar Tourism Authority told reporters ata press conference in Doha.
Oil giant Saudi Arabia along with Egypt, Bahrain and theUnited Arab Emirates imposed a boycott on Qatar on June 5 andcut off all transport links with the country after accusing itof supporting terrorism and of close ties to Iran.
Doha denies the charges.Since the boycott began, Qatar has sought to build up its diplomatic and trade ties beyond the Gulf region.
The visascheme is just the latest in a series of measures aimed atpreparing Qatar for greater economic independence in the long
term.
Efforts led by Kuwait to resolve the rift are ongoing.Qatar has flown in food supplies from Turkey and Iran andchartered new shipping routes via Oman to bring in constructionmaterials but hotel occupancy rates have fallen with Saudis, akey source of tourism, barred by their government from visitingthe country.
Visitors from the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Councilusually account for almost half of all visitors to Qatar.Air links suspended by the four Arab states representedaround 25 percent of flights by state-owned Qatar Airways, oneof the region´s big three carriers.
On August 3, Qatar approved legislation allowing certainpermanent residents to benefit from parts of the state´sgenerous welfare system, including education and health-careservices, a first for the Gulf.
Under the law, children of Qatari women married toforeigners and people with special skills "needed by the state,"can benefit from the new status.
Foreign workers from countries including India and Nepalaccount for around 90 percent of Qatar´s population of 2.7million.
Qatar´s World Cup organising committee has said the Arabsanctions will not affect preparations for the World Cup.