Manama: Qataris planning to travel and stay in London in summer have been urged to obtain their visas and confirm their hotel bookings well ahead of travel dates.
The foreign ministry said that the Olympic Games in the British capital and the presence of large crowds would add extra pressure on visa processing and on hotel bookings and Qataris needed to be aware of the exceptional situation, Qatar News Agency (QNA) said.
Thousands of Qataris and Qatar-based expatriates plan their overseas travel in July and August, with Britain as one of their favourite destinations.
Qataris, like most Gulf people, tend to spend summer holidays in Europe or the Far East to enjoy more clement weather conditions.
However, Qataris and Muslims living in Qatar are now altering their travel plans to ensure they do not coincide with Ramadan, the holy month during which Muslims abstain from food, drink and intimate contacts from sunrise until sunset.
Ramadan, the ninth month of the moon-based calendar, is expected to start on July 20.
The Olympic Games are scheduled to start on July 27 and end on August 12. It is the first time in history that a city hosts the Olympiads for the third time. London hosted the 1908 and the 1948 Olympic Games.
