‘We have invaluable lessons from this World Cup’

Qatar, the tiny gulf nation with a population of 2.6 million, had not qualified in any of the previous 21 editions of the competition. That has not diminished its ambitions though, and the country is on course to have the required stadium and logistical infrastructure in place by 2020, a good two years before the World Cup.

With the monthlong football festivities coming to an end in Russia, the world’s focus, scrutinising every minute detail related to policy and infrastructure and polity, is now on Qatar, the host of the 2022 World Cup.

The tiny gulf nation with a population of 2.6 million had not qualified in any of the previous 21 editions of the competition. That has not diminished its ambitions though, and the country is on course to have the required stadium and logistical infrastructure in place by 2020, a good two years before the World Cup.

Nasser Al Khater, the assistant secretary general of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, sounded confident about his country’s ability to deal with the millionplus visitors that the World Cup regularly brings and other challenges that might come its way. He, however, was guarded about bringing in a cohost for a possible 4■team tournament.

On affordable accommodation for World Cup visitors

We have done our estimates for over a million visitors. We have taken a look at the

SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT Asian surge: I believe by 2022 we will have a larger fanbase travelling to Qatar from India and China, says Nasser Al Khater.