Hayya takes home win at Middle East Technology Excellence Awards 2025

It has evolved into a comprehensive digital platform for e-visa processing, accreditation, and event access since its launch, seamlessly integrating with government databases.

The Hayya Digital Platform was honoured as the recipient of the Travel Technology - Business Services category win in the coveted Middle East Technology Excellence Awards 2025 for its success in transforming travel, tourism, and event management whilst supporting the Qatar Tourism Strategic Goal for 2030.

Originally developed for the 2022 FIFA World Cup to streamline visitor entry, Hayya has
since evolved into a comprehensive platform, streamlining the visa process, expanding its services to offer business, and event solutions and elevating the visitor experience as a whole.

Initially, it had offered tech-savvy B2C services such as the E-Visa Platform and Hayya Fan ID, and had provided access to fans around the world, enabling them to enjoy a seamless and connected experience throughout the tournament.

Building on this foundation, Hayya continues to lead in digital innovation by integrating smart technologies that simplify e-visa applications, reduce manual input, minimise errors, and lower rejection rates through the integration of several innovations.

This includes OCR Technology that automatically extracts document details to reduce errors and processing time, and the upcoming Arabic OCR Implementation that aims to improve accessibility for Arab nationals. It also features ICAO Photo Compliance Check, which uses artificial intelligence to verify image compliance with international standards, as well as an NFC-Based Passport Scanning that enables users to auto-fill passport details by tapping their mobile devices.

Hayya is the country’s official e-visa gateway, offering a centralised, efficient, and traveller-friendly solution for visitors.

Meanwhile, Hayya has also made major tech innovations in the events and business services sector through its secure application programming interface integration, which enables real-time ticket validation and identity-linked QR codes for seamless access to stadiums, transport, and hospitality venues.

This technology has supported major global events, including the 2022 FIFA World Cup, 2023 AFC Asian Cup, Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix, and Web Summit Qatar 2024.

To sustain engagement, the platform has also implemented a multi-channel digital strategy using its data-driven customer relationship management service, push notifications, in-app updates, and social media analytics to attract international visitors. This has contributed to boosting tourism to around one million visitors in 2024 and drove a 40% increase in B2B and
B2C visa applications from January 2024 to March 2025.

By advancing economic diversification, enhancing visitor facilitation, and fostering digital innovation, Hayya contributes to Qatar National Vision 2030, Qatar National Tourism Strategy 2030, and the Qatar National Development Strategy.

“Our contribution to implementing the right technology and aligning them with security requirements has proven highly effective in recent times. This has significantly supported the tourism sector by enhancing the visitor experience in Qatar and streamlining event management, making events easier to organise and more seamless to attend,” Hayya Director, Saeed Al Kuwari, said.

Middle East Technology Excellence Awards honours the remarkable achievements of both homegrown and international firms in shaping the Middle East’s evolving technological landscape, acknowledging their innovations, strategic growth, and contributions to economic and community development. 

The Middle East Technology Excellence Awards is presented by Asian Business Review Magazine. To view the full list of winners, click here. If you want to join the 2026 awards programme and be acclaimed for your company's outstanding contributions in pursuit of technological innovation, please contact Danica Avila at [email protected].