Qatar is willing to use Iran’s potentials in Bushehr and Hormuzgan Provinces, particularly Kish Island, in order to host the World Cup 2022.

Qatar has signed a number of cooperation agreements with Iran ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2022. It follows Qatar’s Minister of Transport and Communications’ visit to Iran’s Kish Island. The agreements focus mainly on air transportation and the World Cup which is due to be held in November.

The signing ceremony was attended by Iran’s Minister of Roads and Urban Development Rostan Qasemi and Qatar’s Minister of Transport and Communications Jassim bin Saif Al-Sulaiti on Monday.

The agreements included the documents previously signed by Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi on his visit to Qatar in February, three bilateral documents in the aviation sector, an agreement in maritime transportation and a document detailing cooperation grounds regarding World Cup. A total of six documents were either activated or newly inked, according to Islamic Republic News Agency.

During a meeting on Sunday, Qasemi and Al-Sulaiti also discussed launching regular shipping lines between Iranian and Qatari ports.

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A signed agreement included the operations to link Doha Flight Information Region, which was established in accordance with International Civil Aviation Organization resolution, with Iran’s aviation information territory.

A bilateral agreement was also signed to increase the number of flights between Qatar and Iran.

The two agreements were ratified by Mohammed Faleh Al-Hajri, who is in charge of running the work of the General Authority of Civil Aviation, and President of the Civil Aviation Organization of Iran Mohammad Mohammadi Bakhsh, as reported by Qatar News Agency.

Last week, during a phone call with the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, President Raisi expressed his country’s readiness to help Qatar with regards to holding the World Cup this year.

The Islamic Republic is “ready to provide any help in Kish Island in holding the World Cup games in the best and most glorious way possible,” Iran’s president told the Amir.

Sheikh Tamim noted the Gulf country’s commitment to further enhancing relations with Tehran and said “we believe that your visit plays an important role in the development of brotherly relations and strengthening cooperation.”

Iran’s possible free visa entry plan

Iran’s Foreign Ministry proposed a visa free plan to enable the entry of the FIFA World Cup 2022 visitors to Tehran without charge, Mehr News Agency reported on Sunday.

The proposal falls in line with Iran and Qatar’s vision to further strengthen their cooperation in the tourism sector in preparation for the major tournament, taking place between November 21st to December 18th.

According to Mehr, the free-of-charge visa plan is currently awaiting the Iranian government’s approval and would cover nationals whose countries have qualified for the World Cup. This however excludes passport carriers of the US, UK, Canada, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Somalia and Sri Lanka.

400 flights during World Cup 2022

400 direct flights from Kish Island to Qatar are scheduled to be launched in conjunction with the FIFA World Cup 2022, in order to expand Iran’s tourism arm.

As the two countries in the Persian Gulf consent to carry out 400 flights and four cruise ships to be navigated from Kish to the Gulf country, Iran and Qatar are seen cooperating on the touristic field, according to Saeed Mohammad, the Secretary of the Supreme Council of Free Trade and Special Economic Zones of Iran, Mehr News Agency reported.

The Iranian diplomat said that the country is aiming to host approximately 100,000 tourists for the World Cup 2022.