Qatar is highlighting a new international recognition for its Hayya platform.
Qatar Tourism says the Hayya digital portal has won the Silver award in the “Innovation in Public Administration” category at the 2026 Middle East & North Africa Stevie® Awards. The distinction recognizes Hayya’s evolution into a centralized tool for e-visas, event access and accreditation.
Already known for its role during the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the platform has gradually become one of the main digital entry points for visitors traveling to Qatar.
For Qatari authorities, the award also reflects the growing role of digital solutions in managing travel formalities. Through Hayya, Qatar aims to streamline procedures for travelers and connect tourism, event-related and administrative services within a single digital environment.
Hayya becomes Qatar’s official e-Visa portal
Qatar Tourism has announced that the Hayya platform has been awarded the Silver Stevie Award in the Innovation in Public Administration category at the 2026 Middle East & North Africa Stevie®️ Award, recognising its role in transforming travel, tourism and event management… pic.twitter.com/fELqU5fjHE
— قطر للسياحة – Qatar Tourism (@qatartourism) May 4, 2026
According to the Qatar News Agency, Hayya is now presented as Qatar’s official e-visa gateway and a central digital portal for visitors.
Qatar Tourism says Hayya was recognized for its “continued evolution into a comprehensive digital platform” enabling e-Visa processing, event access and accreditation, with integration into government systems.
The Hayya ecosystem includes the mobile app, the Hayya Portal, the HACS accreditation and permit system, Hayya Move, a reporting system, and a group visa and accreditation service. The stated objective is to simplify procedures, improve the user experience and strengthen operational efficiency for visitors as well as institutional and event partners.
The platform also relies on several technologies designed to reduce manual data entry and speed up information processing. QNA cites optical character recognition, artificial intelligence used for image verification and passport reading through NFC technology.
These features are intended to make it easier to enter personal data, verify documents and check the information submitted during an application. In the e-visa sector, such tools are increasingly used by authorities to reduce data-entry errors, strengthen traveler identification and make procedures more accessible from a phone or computer.
The Hayya portal currently highlights several pathways linked to tourist e-visas, residents of Gulf Cooperation Council countries, companions of Gulf citizens and certain electronic travel authorizations. The platform also offers services for government and semi-government entities, particularly for managing groups, visas and events.
Recognition tied to Qatar’s tourism strategy
For Saeed Al Kuwari, director of Hayya, the award reflects the platform’s continued development as a national tool supporting the digital transformation of Qatar’s tourism ecosystem. He said the teams remain focused on developing solutions that strengthen operational efficiency and deliver a seamless experience for visitors and partners.
The recognition comes as Qatar continues working to strengthen its appeal as a tourism destination, despite a regional environment still shaped by tensions in the Middle East. With Hayya, the country is seeking to build on the experience gained during the 2022 World Cup while turning the former event access card into a lasting portal for travel formalities.
The 2026 Middle East & North Africa Stevie® Awards recognized organizations from 15 countries across the region. According to the organizers, more than 1,400 nominations in Arabic and English were evaluated this year by 155 professionals across several juries. The awards ceremony is scheduled to take place on September 11, 2026, at the InterContinental Istanbul in Turkey.
The award granted to Hayya illustrates a broader trend in international travel formalities. More countries are developing platforms that bring together e-visas, travel authorizations, digital arrival cards, event services and pre-screening tools.
For travelers, these systems promise simpler and faster procedures, provided that information is clear, visa categories are properly explained and platforms remain stable during periods of high demand.
