Egypt to allow Iranian visas on arrival to Sinai amid easing regional tensions

Iranians traveling to Egypt with tour groups will soon be allowed visas on arrival in the Sinai peninsula with plans to extend access to other parts of the country, the Egyptian Tourism Ministry said Monday.

The move was part of a series of measures aimed at improving access to visas to boost tourism revenue as Egypt’s economy continues to struggle with an acute foreign currency shortage.

It also came as some Middle Eastern governments, including Cairo, are taking steps to ease regional tensions. Egypt’s Sunni Muslim Arab ally Saudi Arabia and Shiite Muslim Iran announced earlier this month the restoration of diplomatic ties.

 

Egypt has mended a rift with Qatar and is rebuilding relations with Turkey, another country that is set to benefit from new visa rules with Turkish nationals given expanded access. Among the other new visa rules announced in the Tourism Ministry’s statement was a $700, five-year multiple-entry visa that is aimed at investors and property owners based outside of the north African country.

Tourists from China – which Egypt regards as a market with big potential – and Indians with residency in Gulf countries will also be granted visas on arrival.

For Iranians arriving in the Sinai – home to the Sharm el-Sheikh resort, a common destination for Israelis – Egypt’s Tourism Minister Ahmed Issa told Reuters: “We will evaluate the experience of their arrival in South Sinai as a first step, and building on that, we’ll determine if they will be admitted in other places.”

Although Cairo and the Islamic Republic have maintained diplomatic contacts over recent decades, relations between them have been troubled.