Qatar’s Ministry of Interior on 29 November tweaked its Hayya platform just in time for the 2025 FIFA Arab Cup, doubling the allowable stay for GCC residents—from 30 to 60 days—and converting the pass into a true multiple-entry visa. The change applies to holders of valid UAE residence permits, who make up the largest share of cross-border spectators after Saudis.
For UAE-based employers, the longer window simplifies secondment planning: consultants parachuting into Doha for tournament-linked infrastructure audits can now stack assignments without repeated exit-re-entry runs. Event-sponsorship teams anticipate cost savings too; staff rotations can be staggered over eight weeks rather than compressed into 30-day rosters that previously required costly visa-renewal runs via Bahrain.
![Qatar extends Hayya GCC Resident Visa to 60 days—good news for UAE expats eyeing Arab Cup]()
The Hayya revamp also eases leisure trips. UAE residents who pair business meetings with weekend matches can keep accommodation in Qatar instead of shuttling back to Dubai mid-project. Airlines such as flydubai and Qatar Airways, already adding extra frequencies, project a 15 per cent bump in load factors.
Regionally, the move heightens pressure on the GCC to launch its long-promised single tourist visa, now pushed to a 2026 pilot. Travel-industry federations argue that Qatar’s agile tweaks show how flexible visa regimes can unlock both tourism and professional mobility across the bloc.
Hayya applications remain fully digital, but UAE residents must upload a copy of their Emirates ID and residency visa. Officials say processing times average 48 hours, yet advise early submission given the surge in demand ahead of the 10 December kick-off.
For UAE-based employers, the longer window simplifies secondment planning: consultants parachuting into Doha for tournament-linked infrastructure audits can now stack assignments without repeated exit-re-entry runs. Event-sponsorship teams anticipate cost savings too; staff rotations can be staggered over eight weeks rather than compressed into 30-day rosters that previously required costly visa-renewal runs via Bahrain.
The Hayya revamp also eases leisure trips. UAE residents who pair business meetings with weekend matches can keep accommodation in Qatar instead of shuttling back to Dubai mid-project. Airlines such as flydubai and Qatar Airways, already adding extra frequencies, project a 15 per cent bump in load factors.
Regionally, the move heightens pressure on the GCC to launch its long-promised single tourist visa, now pushed to a 2026 pilot. Travel-industry federations argue that Qatar’s agile tweaks show how flexible visa regimes can unlock both tourism and professional mobility across the bloc.
Hayya applications remain fully digital, but UAE residents must upload a copy of their Emirates ID and residency visa. Officials say processing times average 48 hours, yet advise early submission given the surge in demand ahead of the 10 December kick-off.
