One of the main competitors of the UAE in the Persian Gulf – Qatar – plans to cancel all strict covid-19 regulations for tourists ahead of the football championship. According to the statement of the country’s Ministry of Health, starting next Tuesday — that is, from the beginning of November — the requirements for the country’s residents and tourists to pass a mandatory PCR test or an express test before arriving in Qatar will be canceled. Previously, this was a mandatory requirement.
Also planned to be canceled is the Ehteraz app, the equivalent of a QR code that all Qataris are currently required to have on their phones to gain access to any enclosed public space, such as subway trains or shopping malls. From Tuesday, it will be necessary only in medical centers, in all other places “due to the decrease in the incidence rate” the requirement will be removed.
However, we remind you that it will not be easy for a simple tourist to get to Qatar shortly. Qatar will host the 2022 FIFA World Cup from November 20 to December 18 and will be the first major global sporting event since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. However, entry to “outsiders” will be prohibited, and entry to Qatar will be closed to all foreign tourists who do not have a “Haya” card (similar to a fan card).