Dr Rashid bin Shafea Al Marri, Qatar’s Ambassador to Sri Lanka, and other officials during the the inauguration ceremony in Colombo, yesterday.
DOHA: The first overseas Qatar Visa Center was inaugurated in Colombo yesterday as a part of the efforts of Qatar to facilitate and streamline procedures for bringing expatriates for work.
The center was was inaugurated by the Ambassador of Qatar to Colombo Dr Rashid bin Shafea Al Marri. The center will provide various services including fingerprint services, biometric data process, medical examination and signing employment contracts.
Speaking at the opening ceremony in Colombo, Rashid bin Shafea Al Marri, said: “The opening of the Qatar Visa Center in Sri Lanka is the first of its kind in the world, and Colombo has been selected to open the first Qatari Visa Center due to the distinguished relations between the two countries.”
Muhammad Hassan Al Obaidali, Assistant Undersecretary for Labor Affairs at Ministry of Administrative Affairs, Labor and Social Affairs; Muhammad Abdullah Al Sobaie, Director of the Department of Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Major General Abdullah Salim Al Ali, Adviser to Minister of Interior; Major General Muhammad Ahmad Al Ateeq, Director of the General Directorate of Passports; Dr. Ibrahim Al Shar, Director of Medical Commission; Major Abdullah Khalifa Al Mohannadi, Director of Recruitment Support Services Department at Passports Directorate; Salman Muhammad Kaladari, head of the Single Window, were among the Qatari dignitaries who attended the opening ceremony.
The event was also attended by eminent dignitaries from Sri Lanka including Ravindra Samaraweera Minister of Labour & Trade Union Relations, Sri Lanka; Abdul Hameed Muhammed Fawzi, Minister of State for National Unity and Co-Existence; Panagoda Don Prince Soloman Anura Liyanage, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to Qatar; Ravi Karunanayaka Member of Parliament; Sheikh Juma bin Hamdan bin Hassan Al Malik Al Shuhi, Oman Ambassador to Sri Lanka and Zuhair Hamd Allah Zaid, Palestine Ambassador to Sri Lanka.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Major Abdullah Khalifa Al Mohannadi, Director of Support Services for Recruitment at the General Directorate of Passports at the Ministry of Interior said: “As part of Qatar’s keenness to protect the rights of expatriates and facilitate their work procedures, the Qatar Visa Center was opened in the Republic of Sri Lanka.
He added this step reflects Qatar’s keenness to ensure the protection and safety of expatriates, as the Qatar Visa Centers abroad will enable the completion of recruitment procedures through one channel easily within a shorter period.
He said the service aims to ensure the speedy completion of their transactions to start work immediately after entering Qatar, and avoid cases that the workers return to their home country if it found they are incompetent for the purpose for which they were recruited. The attendees and guests toured the centre through which they learned about the departments and units and the facilities available in it. They also learned about the mechanism of work procedures since the person entered the hall of the centre until signing the contract and obtaining a work visa.
The opening of the Qatar Visa Center in Sri Lanka comes in partnership with the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The first phase of the Qatar visa project is planned to be implemented through the launch of the rest of the centres in other countries, in the coming period.
Qatar is also seeking to expand the countries and services provided by these centers.
