More than a decade ago, Qatar began what was a big mission – to prepare for the hosting of the FIFA World Cup – the first in the Middle East and the Arab world. Fast forward – the ambitious Gulf state has marked the 500-day countdown to go in the 2022 edition of the FIFA showpiece at the weekend, announcing that 95% work on infrastructure has been completed with only a few months separating them from attaining complete readiness.
Qatar have worked on massive infrastructure projects including the eight World Cup stadiums, training sites, the metro network and a host of expressways. The pace at which the work has been completed is unprecedented particularly by looking at the scale of challenges the country has faced in the last decade. The previous World Cup hosts have struggled to complete the preparations in time and what Qatar has achieved is nothing lest than a roaring success. Even the COVID-19 pandemic, which brought the world to a halt, couldn’t deter Qatar in its commitment to deliver the World Cup that will be long remembered. Four World Cup stadiums are already under use while the rest are almost finished. All the venues are unique and will mesmerise everybody as the CNN wrote in one of its reports: “They’re impossible to miss. On a drive around Qatar, at every turn, it seems, a new football stadium rises out of the desert -- each design offering a futuristic take on its traditional culture.”
Apart from the state-of-the-art stadiums – mandated to achieve four-star ratings from the Global Sustainability Assessment System – the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 is especial in many other ways. The tournament’s compact nature is unprecedented as the fans will have a chance to attend two games in a single day, with all eight stadiums are no further than 50km from central Doha. The visiting fans can stay in one accommodation for the entire tournament. There will be plenty of accommodation options for fans like staying in a desert camp, ‘floating hotel’ – one of the cruise liners which will be moored in the Arabian Sea with spectacular views of the West Bay skyline, besides the traditional hotels and serviced apartments – from two to five stars.
The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy is confident of completing all preparations maximum by the start of 2022 if not at the end of this year. This year’s inaugural FIFA Arab World Cup to be held in the same window of that of the World Cup will help Qatar test their operational readiness. Qatar is in the final stages of the marathon challenge and the country with its determination of leaving a positive legacy for the country, the region and the world, is only expected to overcome the final hurdles successfully towards realising the dream.
