Visa now compulsory for Qataris to enter Egypt, foreign ministry says

July 19, 2017 The Egyptian foreign ministry on Monday announced citizens of Qatar can no longer travel to Egypt without a visa, ending the visa-free travels to the country for Qataris, on a meeting of Egyptian foreign minister with Kuwaiti foreign minister Sheikh.

This measure would not apply to Qatari students studying in Egyptian public universities, nor to partners or children of Egyptians, said Egyptian foreign ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid. According to reports, students are to be handed a tourist visa upon arrival and this is to come under effect by Thursday.

Abu Zeid explained "[i]t does not make sense to keep making exceptions for Qatar and giving it privileges in light of its current positions". Several Islamic countries &mdash;Egypt, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain&mdash; broke their diplomatic ties with Qatar for allegedly supporting "extremists".

Accused by those four nations of funding militant groups, Qatar was issued with a list of thirteen demands, including shutting down Al Jazeera &mdash; a -based media channel. Despite the boycott, Qatar received support from the Turkish army. "Turkey's steady buildup continues there, protecting the border and the security of the Qatari government", Turkish presidential advisor Ilnur Cevik reportedly said on Monday.