Ahead of the Qatar 2022 World Cup, which will be held at the end of this year, neighboring Saudi Arabia announced a new policy to participate in the quadrennial event.
During the tournament, Muslim World Cup ticket holders are allowed by the Saudi Arabian government to perform Umrah without paying for a visa.
As reported by Middle East Eye, those who have Hayya Cards will not need to pay to perform Umrah to Makkah because they will automatically get a free Umah visa granted by the Saudi Government.
The Hayya Card is a unique document given to overseas spectators for the 2022 World Cup issued by the Qatari government.
The digital card serves as an all-in-one pass for visitors attending the World Cup in Qatar. Travelers can only enter the Middle Eastern country if they have a Hayya Card.
For the convenience of visitors, Qatar imposes easy conditions for visitors who want to have this card. Qatari local media reported that visitors only had to buy tickets for the World Cup match to be able to get the Hayya Card. Even if they only buy one ticket for the 2022 World Cup, they will already get the privilege.
The Hayya card will present several advantages for the Qatar 2022 World Cup spectators. Most recently, Muslim Hayya Card holders will get a free Umrah visa from the Saudi Arabian government.
This was announced directly by the Gulf Kingdom last week and has been confirmed now by the Assistant Director of the Visa Department at the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Khaled al-Shammari. According to Shammari, Hayya Card holders can stay in the Kingdom for two months, ending on January 11, 2023. Or they can freely enter and exit Saudi Arabia several times during the two months without having to enter Qatar first.
Shammari added that although the visa is free, health insurance must still be obtained from the visa platform.
Apart from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) also offers double-entry visas to people who have tickets for World Cup matches. The double visa can be obtained for only 100 dirhams.
