Qatar will not grant visas to those it considers "enemies," the secretary-general of the National Tourism Council said in reference to Egyptians seeking to enter the country amid an ongoing political rift.
Speaking at an event to promote a summer tourism campaign, the tourism council's Akbar al-Baker said Qatar would not let Egyptians enter the country to take part in promotions aimed at boosting its tourism industry. "The visa will not be open for our enemies - it will be open for our friends," Baker said of Egyptians looking to come. "Are visas open for us to go there? No. So why should we open it for them? Everything is reciprocal."
Last August, Bahrain's interior ministry said that it would stop issuing new visas to Qatari nationals, escalating measures against Qatar. In June 2017, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain collectively severed ties with Doha, accusing it of supporting terrorism and imposed an air, land and sea embargo on Qatar. Doha, which announced last month it was quitting the Saudi-dominated Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) oil cartel, vociferously denies the allegations, but the dispute has dragged on. The Qatari government has also blasted the blockade as unjustified and a violation of international law.
