Egypt to deny Qataris visa-free entry

YemenExtra

Egypt, which has joined a Saudi-led bloc of states in boycotting Qatar, says it will end a visa-free regime with the country and will continue to require that Doha meet the 13 demands the bloc has given it.

“It does not make sense to keep making exceptions for Qatar and giving it privileges in light of its current positions,” said Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid, referring to the visa-free regime that has been in place.

Though a new visa regime will be according exceptions to Qatari nationals with Egyptian mothers, those married to Egyptians, and Qataris studying in Egypt, it will mark the latest measure by the bloc to pile up pressure on Doha.

The bloc, consisting of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates, severed diplomatic ties and cut all land, sea, and air routes with Qatar on June 5, accusing it of supporting terrorism, allegations denied by Doha.

They later issued the 13-point list of demands for Doha to meet in order for the relations to be restored. Among them was that Qatar end its support for Muslim Brotherhood — the biggest Egyptian opposition party, which Cairo has banned — close a Turkish military base on its soil, limit its ties with Iran, and “compensate” the sanctioning countries for unspecified harm.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry also told his Kuwaiti counterpart during a meeting in Cairo on Monday that Egypt was standing by the list of demands and would keep the sanctions against Doha in place. Kuwait has been leading mediation efforts between Qatar and the quartet.

“The Foreign Minister affirmed to his Kuwaiti counterpart Egypt’s commitment to the list of demands presented to the state of Qatar and the continuation of sanctions taken against it,” Abu Zeid said in a statement.

The insistence comes “in light of what the quartet states see as Qatar’s stalling and procrastination, and lack of concern for the concerns of the four states,” he said.

Doha has refused to meet any of the demands.