Qatar Tourism (QT) has announced that the Hayya platform has been awarded the silver award in the “Technical Innovation of the Year in Government Technology” category at the 2026 Stevie Awards for Technology Excellence, recognising its continued evolution as a digital platform driving artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled, automated and intelligently integrated government services.
Since 2024, Hayya has advanced from being a visitor entry platform into a connected national digital ecosystem supporting Qatar’s tourism, government services and major international events.
Its e-visa processing ecosystem now unifies identity verification, approvals, payments, notifications and access services within a single digital workflow, the QT said in a press statement Monday.
The platform’s innovation is reflected in its adoption of advanced technologies, including OCR (optical character recognition)-powered document extraction, passport parsing, ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation) photo-compliance checks, and automated validation workflows, which have improved efficiency, reduced manual intervention and enhanced processing accuracy.
Hayya processed nearly 850,000 applications in 2025, with an average of one e-visa processed every 35 seconds, while application correction rates were reduced to 5% over the same period.
“This award is a testament to Hayya’s unwavering commitment to enhancing our services through innovation, technology, and user-centric solutions that deliver a seamless, hassle-free travel experience from visa application through to arrival,” said Hayya director Saeed al-Kuwari.
“As we continue to evolve, we remain focused on leveraging digital transformation to deliver frictionless experiences and support Qatar’s vision for a smarter, more connected future,” he said.
Operated by Qatar Tourism, Hayya serves as Qatar’s official e-visa platform and central digital gateway, streamlining access to the country through integrated visa processing and event services within a single, user-friendly interface.
Stevie Awards are conferred in nine programmes: “The American Business Awards”, “The Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards”, “The German Stevie Awards”, “The Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards”, “The International Business Awards”, “The Stevie Awards for Great Employers”, “The Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service”, “The Stevie Awards for Women in Business”, and “The Stevie Awards for Technology Excellence”.
Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 12,000 entries each year from organisations in more than 70 nations.
Honouring organisations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognise outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide.
Related Story
