Balls To Roll on In the Arabian Sand
History is not always the repetition of the past it is the creation of new possibilities and the marking of novel talents in people’s hearts. The land of eternal sunshine, Qatar is going to host the FIFA world cup 2022 as the first-ever Arabian country.
The smash of the soccer game couldn’t be restricted to the sports stadium, it has a pivotal role in the business industry as well as the economy of the nations. The Qatar world cup is expecting a budget of 200 billion dollars which is considered to be the most expensive world cup.
As the ball starts to roll on in the Arabian sand by November 20, 2022, the eyes, ears and hearts of global football fans would be on Qatar. Taking a closer look into the most unique features of the Qatar world cup, we could get a clear picture, of how Qatar is leveraging the world cup for its future growth.
The scorching summer of Arab countries forced FIFA to conduct the world cup in the winter season and it is also the first carbon-neutral world event. From many distinctive peculiarities, the 2022 world cup is only a 28-day event cut shorting the normal 32-day war of football teams.
How Qatar is Leveraging World Cup for an Economic Boom?
The estimated number of visitors during the month-long event is almost 1.2 million which is nearly half of Qatar’s current population. So, the nation is anticipating holistic development of the country through a spectacular international event challenging other developing nations.
Large - Scale Infrastructure Development
Qatar has invested in large-scale infrastructure development associated with the world cup including Airports, Metro, Smart cities, Arenas and Stadiums. For those who consider building many stadiums a waste of money and space after the game, Qatar has developed the first ever fully demountable stadiums that can be later donated to other developing nations who are in need of such infrastructure.
Highlights
- Al Bayt Stadium (60,000 Seats)
- Lusail City (2,00,000 People)
- Al Wakrah Stadium (40,000 Seats)
- Hamad International Airport (Replaces Doha Airport)
- Khalifa International Stadium (40,000)
- Qatar Foundation stadium (40,000 Seats)
- Msherieb Downtown Doha (Entertainment Venue)
- Doha Express Way(Connecting Towns, Villages and Cities)
- New Doha Port (Largest Seaport)
- Al Rayyan Stadium (40,000 Seats)
Tourism Industry
Even though tourism is not the major industry of Qatar in terms of revenue, by hosting a global event like FIFA, the nation is expecting a great boom in tourism and the hospitality sector. Also, Oman and UAE going to benefit as most football fans choose to stay in those tourist spots. The world cup has created many job opportunities in the hospitality sector.
- Enhance the position of the country on the global tourism map
- Hotels Will Receive The Largest Share Of World Cup Revenues
- More job opportunities in the hospitality sector
- Expecting 3 Million tourists in 2023
- World Cup Will Help Tourist Arrivals Recover To Pre-Covid Levels
- Surge In Foreign Visitors
- On-Arrival Visa for Tourists
World Cup Economic Impact Would Extend Beyond Qatar
Hosting sports events has become a trend in the Arabian region nowadays, from formula one races in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Abu Dhabi to tennis tournaments in Dubai, Gulf nations are investing heavily in sports. Qatar had promoted its world cup campaign as a showing of Arab unity from the outset and positioned WorldCup as an opportunity to build bridges between the Arab and Western World countries.
As many soccer fans fly from Europe and America, accommodating all of them in Qatar would be a herculean task, so the neighbouring country UAE would be a good option for the tourists. Air Arabia and Fly Dubai are running 45 flights between UAE and Doha daily it would be a relief for foreign tourists.
- Accommodation prices in Qatar soared would encourage world cup visitors to stay in other GCC nations near the country.
- India launches 20 additional flights to Doha from its major cities.
- Air Arabia and Fly Dubai run 45 flights daily between UAE and Doha.
- 100 flights per day between Iran and Qatar.
Sports Would Unite A World Separated By WarsYour Heading
In a period of frequent wars and sanctions between nations, sports would be a healing medicine that bind all the countries together under the roof of team spirit towards a better world. Let the soccer game bring good fortunes to Arabian soil and eliminate the myths of European domination as the key to sustainable development.
Wishing all the football fans a wonderful season of fair games and we can wait for the emerging stars that would glow in the sky of Qatar. As the theme of this world cup proclaims we can ‘Expect Amazing ‘ from the extravaganza event.
Hayya Hayya , better together than isolated…
