The Philippine government said Sunday it would provide assistance to 12 Filipino crew members of a tugboat seized by Iran for alleged oil smuggling.

Katara Hospitality, a leading global hotel owner, developer and operator based in Qatar, has announced an exclusive offer for nationals and residents of Qatar, Kuwait and Oman.

A special flight operated by state-owned Biman Bangladesh Airlines carried the coffins of 23 of the 26 Bangladeshi nationals killed in last week's crash to Dhaka, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Nationalisation programmes in the region are designed to reduce the states ' reliance on foreign workers by encouraging, and sometimes compelling, private sector firms to hire nationals.

While the citizens of 80 countries are now eligible for visa-free entry to Qatar, nationals of 242 countries are qualified to apply for a tourist visa (e-visa) online to visit the country, it is learnt.

Kuwait executed seven people at its central prison on Wednesday, including a member of the ruling Al-Sabah family, according to a statement carried by state news agency KUNA.

Three Qatari nationals were killed in a road accident near Shamal on Friday evening, sources said.