World Cup logo unveiled
DOHA, Qatar (AFP) — Qatar unveiled the logo for the 2022 International Football Federation (FIFA) World Cup which will be hosted by the Gulf emirate, displaying it in public spaces in Doha and cities around the world on Tuesday.
The design is a stylized Arabic white unisex shawl with maroon patterning, which is displayed in a figure-of-eight symbolizing infinity while creating a heart shape above the words "FIFA WORLD CUP Qatar 2022."
It was projected onto the vast facade of the country's National Archives in the capital's southern Msheireb district to fanfare that included a procession of soldiers on horseback watched by a crowd of hundreds.
The building was illuminated with the emblem at exactly 20:22 local time — the same as the year of the tournament.
"The logo is very elegant and showing local culture with the (burgundy) color of the Qatari flag," Algerian hospitality worker Mourad Bencheikh, 36, told AFP as visitors crowded to photograph the new branding.
"By time, people will like it."
The emblem was also displayed in Madrid, Buenos Aires and Beirut along with several other major cities.
"This one is unique for Qatar," said Sri Lankan quantity surveyor Mohammed Fairoos, 30, as he and a group of friends took a selfie in front of the National Archives projection. "It's wonderful."
The Qatari organizers said the logo "was inspired by traditional woolen shawls worn during the winter months."
The 2022 event will be held in November and December to avoid the scorching Gulf summer.