Uzbekistan has been increasingly promoting itself as a tourist destination, boasting rich historical sites such as the cities of Samarkand, Bukhara, and Khiva, all known for their stunning Islamic architecture and ancient Silk Road history.
Qatari passport holders can now enter Uzbekistan without a visa for a period of 30 days, marking a significant step towards the strengthening of diplomatic and cultural ties between the two countries, Qatar News Agency reported.
The decision comes in the wake of an official meeting between Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in Samarkand in June to enhance bilateral ties and is seen as a new chapter in Qatar-Uzbekistan relations.
“During the session, they reviewed the existing friendship and cooperation relations between the two countries and ways of enhancing and developing them in various fields,” the statement read.
The two leaders also explored avenues to implement mutual investment and trade plans while discussing regional and international developments. Sheikh Tamim and President Mirziyoyev marked the occasion by planting a tree at Samarkand’s Congress Center garden.
The meeting led to the signing of several agreements and memoranda of understanding (MOU), including one on the exemption of travel visa requirements for holders of diplomatic passports. Agreements encompassed fields such as sports, environment, food security, and agriculture.
Further cooperation was outlined with an agreement to eliminate double taxation, collaboration in customs affairs, workers’ recruitment, higher education, scientific research, and a programme between Qatar and Uzbekistan’s foreign ministries for the period of 2023-2025, as well as a separate programme between their justice ministries.
The visa exemption is expected to enhance tourism between the two countries.
Uzbekistan has been increasingly promoting itself as a tourist destination, boasting rich historical sites such as the cities of Samarkand, Bukhara, and Khiva, all known for their stunning Islamic architecture and ancient Silk Road history.
Qatar and Uzbekistan also signed an agreement to encourage and protect mutual investments, along with an MOU on trade cooperation, signalling a more robust economic partnership.
Earlier this month, Japanese authorities confirmed Qatari passport holders will also be exempt from visas for travel to Japan from 21 August.
The new system will enable Qatari citizens to apply for visas electronically at the Embassy of Japan in Doha. Once passports are registered, travellers can complete the visa waiver registration process online.
Qatari passport
Recently, Qatar climbed three places in the World Passport Power Rankings, positioning itself in 52nd place on a global list.
The Qatari passport now provides citizens access to 103 visa-free destinations worldwide, with countries like Japan recently announcing visa exemption for holders of the document.
The report shows a remarkable reshuffling at the top of the rankings. In a surprising turn of events, Singapore ousted Japan from its long-held position as the world’s most powerful passport holder.
Meanwhile, Qatar also managed a commendable 42nd place in the Henley Openness Index, which evaluates the number of nationalities allowed to enter a country without a prior visa.
The countries exhibiting the most significant negative discrepancy between their visa-free access and openness to other nations include Somalia, Sri Lanka, Djibouti, Burundi, and Nepal.
On the other hand, those showing the smallest discrepancy are Singapore, South Korea, Malaysia, Hong Kong (SAR China), and Barbados.
