As Qatar prepares to host the World Cup 2022 this Sunday, fans and football teams worldwide have begun to arrive in the Middle Eastern country.
More than 1.2 million spectators are expected to visit Qatar during the tournament. This challenges a country with a population of fewer than three million people.
Qatar was awarded the right to host the World Cup in 2010. Since then, the country has undergone many changes to prepare for the event. So, is Qatar ready to host world football’s biggest tournament?
Stadiums
Eight stadiums in total will use for the tournament. Qatar the first Middle Eastern country to host the tournament. Also, Directly employed more than 26,000 people in preparation for the November and December games.
Seven new stadiums have been built for the event, with Lusail Stadium being the last one to inaugurate. Lusail hosted a match between the Egyptian club team Zamalek and the Saudi club Al Ahli in September.
Lusail Stadium, with a capacity of 80,000 people, is the largest tournament venue for the 2022 World Cup. The Khalifa International Stadium – which can hold 40,000 people – has undergone renovations and upgrades.
Lusail Stadium will host the final on December 18 and matches during each event stage.
Accommodation
There have been worries that the country may be unable to accommodate all the football fans expected to come for the tournament. However, over the past 12 years, the organizers have built hotels, apartments, villas, and other infrastructure to prepare for the event.
The organizers have also permitted residents to rent their houses and rooms to ease accommodation problems.
You have a few options if you’re looking for a place to stay during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. You can stay on a cruise ship, at a hotel, or in a tent.
Several cruise ships have docked in Doha with room for around 10,000 people. One thousand tents have been set up on an artificial island for fans to stay in.
Organizers are raising more than 500 shuttle flights a day, allowing fans to stay in cities in neighboring countries like Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, Muscat in Oman, and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia to ease worries over a potential accommodation deficiency in Qatar.
Transport
In the lead-up to the championship, Qatar made substantial upgrades to its transport network. In 2019, it launched a metro rail system, constructed major highways, and inaugurated a tram system.
Holders of a Hayya card – a fan ID that allows entry into Qatar and the stadiums. This will be able to use public transport for free between November 10 and December 23.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar will be the most compact tournament in history, with all eight stadiums located within a 55km radius of the capital city, Doha.
This proximity will allow fans to attend more than one game per day. However, it has also added to concerns about congestion, as the World Cup will essentially be taking place in one city.
Five of the eight FIFA, World Cup stadiums, are directly connected to the metro railway, with the remainder connected by a combination of metro and shuttle bus services.
A fleet of 4,000 buses, including 700 electric vehicles, will be used to shuttle passengers between transport hubs and stadiums. According to organizers, some 50,000 passengers a day are expected to use buses during the World Cup. This is a great way to see the sights and get around without the hassle of driving and parking.
Security
Qatar is deploying a lot of security personnel for the World Cup. It has signed contracts with several countries to provide security cooperation.
Turkey has provided police officers, and Pakistan has sent troops that will operate under Qatari command.
Several participating countries are also sending delegations of police. Last month, Qatar security forces and partners conducted a five-day security exercise nationwide.
The drills were designed to test the emergency services’ readiness and responsiveness, The Peninsula daily reported.
According to the tournament’s security committee, the exercises, dubbed Watan (which translates to the nation in Arabic), involved 32,000 government security personnel and 17,000 from the private security sector.
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