Rabat – The UAE announced on Tuesday that it will issue multiple-entry tourist visas for football fans attending the FIFA World Cup scheduled for November 20-December 18 in Qatar.
Quoting the Federal Authority For Identity, Citizenship, Customs, and Port Security (ICP), the Emirati News Agency (WAM) said that the Gulf country has launched a special visa program for “Hayya” card holders. Hayya is an official document issued by Qatari authorities that grants football fans an entry permit to the country and to the stadiums where World Cup games will be played.
The special visa “program comes within the UAE’s initiatives aiming to support the State of Qatar, in hosting the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022,” WAM said, adding that the visa lasts for up to 90 days.
“Hayya” card holders can apply for the UAE visa on the ICP web portal starting from November 1 with an application fee of AED 100 (MAD 288 or $27.23).
Last week, Saudi Arabia launched a similar multiple-entry tourist visa for FIFA world cup fans.
Given the huge influx of visitors, Gulf-based airlines such as Qatar Airways, Air Arabia, and FlyDubai plan to operate shuttle services between Qatar and neighboring countries.
Qatar Airways, for instance, has introduced the “Match Day Shuttle” for football enthusiasts planning to travel to Qatar for the World Cup.
“You can now travel easily from Muscat (MCT) or Dubai (DWC) direct to the stadiums on a same-day shuttle service. Book your trip with us between 21 November and 3 December 2022,” the company says on its website.
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According to FIFA, more than 800,000 fans will gather in Qatar for the most-anticipated football event of the year.
While some of the fans prefer to stay in the host country, others have opted to visit and stay in neighboring countries and cities such as Dubai which is only 30 minutes away by plane. This explains the over 20% increase in demand for hotels and homestays in the UAE, says Khaleej Times.
