Qatar firms put travel bar on several expats

Doha - "I was told not to travel. My exit permit and holiday was cancelled"

Expatriates working for Qatar Petroleum and other organisations said on Thursday their employers had cancelled holidays and barred them from leaving Qatar.

A Qatari official said some leave had been cancelled in "essential government sectors" to keep staff on hand as authorities made plans to cope with the crisis, but did not mention travel restrictions or any focus on foreigners. Expatriate executives and engineers at the energy group said the orders started a day after Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt severed ties with Qatar.

Doctors from the government-run Hamad hospital made similar reports and others said the orders had affected hundreds of people. "I was told not to travel. My exit permit and holiday was cancelled," said a British expatriate working for Qatar Petroleum. - Reuters

• Qatar Crisis