DUBAI, May 21: Qatar announced a minimum salary limit for expatriates wishing to bring their families to stay with them in the Gulf state.Under the new rules, expatriates working in the country could get visas for their families if they had a minimum salary of 3,000 riyals (about Rs 30,000) per month, the Qatar News Agency (QNA) said.

The rules were decided upon at a recent meeting of the Qatari cabinet, the report said. ``Approval of applications for family visas....Will be made in accordance with considerations and directives dictated by the public interest and in concurrence with the occupation, qualification and period of residence", qna said.

It said the decision would help expatriate employees with ``technical specialisations'' needed by the country. ``The salary is the only criterion that has been laid down, not housing or other perks,'' the Doha-based peninsula quoted a Qatari official as saying.

Simultaneously, the cabinet also decided to allow expatriates staying in the other five Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries - Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain - to visit Qatar without obtaining a prior visa. Visas would be issued to such visitors on arrival at entry points for a maximum of two weeks, QNA said.

It said the new measures were aimed at activating the economy were based on the recommendations of the country's advisory council as well as the views of the interior and other ministries.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.