Qatar most open nation in visa facilitation

Doha, Qatar: With 102 countries granted visas on arrival as of the last count, Qatar has become the most open country in the world in terms of visa fa...

Doha, Qatar: With 102 countries granted visas on arrival as of the last count, Qatar has become the most open country in the world in terms of visa facilitation, the Chairman of Qatar Tourism (QT), H E Saad bin Ali Al Kharji, has said.

Speaking at the 2024 Global Exhibitions Day (GED) hosted by QT with UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, yesterday, Al Kharji noted that Qatar’s commitment to hosting large-scale global events is an important means by which it is fulfilling the objective of becoming the fastest-growing tourism destination in the Middle East by 2030.

The event, which marked the inaugural GED celebration in the Middle East, was also attended by Sheikh Jabor bin Yousef bin Jassim bin Jabor Al Thani, Chairman of the Arab Union for International Exhibitions & Conferences (AUIEC), Naji El Haddad, Regional Director of UFI, and other dignitaries and industry leaders.

Al Kharji said, “We have welcomed over six million visitors between 2023 and this year. In 2023, we welcomed over four million visitors, and up until April 2024, we have received another two million visitors.”

The QT Chairman noted that MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) has become one of the priority pillars driving growth in Qatar’s tourism sector, which Qatar recognises as integral to its strategic goals.