As the preparations to host 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar are in full swing and three venues of mega sporting event matches have been completed within record time, Qatar will also host a pan-Arab tournament in late 2021.
Qatar Football Association (QFA) and FIFA have announced plans to deliver a pan-Arab tournament that will be played in Qatar in late 2021, with the competition acting as a crucial preparatory event for the 2022 FIFA World Cup 2022, that kicks off on 21 November 2022.
No doubt that the pan-Arab tournament will not only provide Qatar a full scale opportunity to gain essential experience but will also definitely help forging unity among Arab countries.
Qatar’s leadership has always been terming the hosting of 2022 FIFA World Cup by Qatar as an honour for the whole Arab world and an opportunity to unite the Middle East.
As far as infrastructure development is concerned, Qatar has recently inaugurated Education City Stadium which is the third tournament-ready venue for Qatar 2022 following the successful redevelopment of Khalifa International Stadium in 2017 and the inauguration of Al Janoub Stadium last year.
Two more stadiums are also expected to open by the end of 2020: Al Rayyan Stadium and Al Bayt Stadium. Coming back to pan-Arab tournament, 22-team invitational tournament for men’s national teams will be contested by Arab nations from Africa and Asia.
It will be played outside the International Match Calendar. The tournament, which will be held in Qatar from December 1-18, 2021, will be delivered by Q22 and will allow the organisers to use facilities and run operations that are also planned for the subsequent FIFA World Cup 2022.
President of the QFA, Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Bin Ahmad Al Thani, said: “This is an exciting moment for Qatar and football fans across the region and around the world. This new pan-Arab tournament will see teams from across the region go head-tohead in state-of-the-art FIFA World Cup venues and allow teams and fans to experience Qatar as a tournament host country.”
Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary-General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC), said: “This exciting tournament will act as a perfect preparatory event for Qatar ahead of the first FIFA World Cup in the Middle East and Arab world. The creation of this pan-Arab tournament reinforces our longstanding commitment that the FIFA World Cup 2022 will be a tournament that benefits the entire Arab world, one that showcases the beauty of the region and the immense passion that exists for the game.”
