Qatar 2022 A World Cup Of Firsts
With the FIFA World Cup 2022™ fast approaching, H.E. Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary General of Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, sheds light on what it takes to stage one of the most famous sporting events on Earth – and how the organizers plan to make a lasting, sustainable impact.
What does it mean to Qatar to be hosting the FIFA Arab Cup 2021™? Do you see it as a trial run for the FIFA World Cup 2022™? We are very proud to be hosting the first pan-Arab FIFA tournament. It will be a celebration of the passion for football across our region and a golden opportunity to test all our plans for the World Cup, which will be held in a similar period in 2022.
We are fortunate to have hosted a vast number of tournaments in the lead-up to 2022, including the FIFA Club World Cup on two occasions. Every event is a chance to learn valuable lessons across a range of areas, including ticketing, broadcasting, volunteering, fan experience, and others. These events also allow us to engage closely with our national stakeholders, who are all playing a vital role in the successful delivery of the tournament.
The world has been watching Qatar construct top-class sporting facilities in the run-up to the World Cup. What will Qatar do with its stadiums and technology after 2022?
We have redeveloped one stadium and built seven more from scratch. Five stadiums have already been inaugurated, and Al Bayt and Ras Abu Aboud stadiums will both be inaugurated during the FIFA Arab Cup. Lusail Stadium – the 80,000seat venue which will host next year’s final – will be inaugurated in early 2022.
Each stadium is integrated into its local community, with many providing facilities for the general public. For example, both Al Janoub and Al Bayt have vast green spaces in their precincts which host sporting, retail, and dining facilities. During the planning stage, we reached out to local communities and asked what facilities they wanted within the stadiums and precincts. This process ensures
viable infrastructure legacy and avoids the ‘white elephant’ issue.
In addition, the majority of the stadium capacities will be reduced after Qatar 2022, with the demountable seats donated to countries in need of sporting infrastructure. This was a key legacy promise made during our World Cup bid.
Workers’ welfare has been under the spotlight for a number of years. What is your approach to ensuring the wellbeing of all those helping deliver the tournament?
Since the tournament was awarded to Qatar in 2010, the country has introduced sweeping labor reforms that have set new benchmarks across the region. The country’s ‘Kafala’ system was dismantled, which led to the introduction of a discrimination-free minimum wage and has ensured workers can change jobs and exit the country with ease. These changes were accelerated due to Qatar’s hosting of the tournament and were welcomed by the world’s leading human rights organizations, as well as the United Nations.
Our dedicated workers’ welfare department has introduced a range of programs to benefit workers on our projects, and the health, safety, and wellbeing of our workers will remain our top priority.
Of course, there will always be room for improvement. However, I have no doubt that the progress made on workers’ welfare will serve as one of the most important legacies long after the final whistle is blown in 2022.
What measures is Qatar taking to ensure that the FIFA World Cup™ is sustainable?
Sustainability is at the heart of our project and we promised to deliver the first carbon-neutral World Cup in the tournament’s history. It’s important to note that our carbon neutrality pledge is not just limited to the 28-day tournament – it covers the entire construction cycle.
All our stadiums are mandated to achieve sustainability certifications for their design, construction, and operations, and have won awards for their innovative practices. Energy and water efficient systems, renewable energy to power operations, and unique demountable seating concepts will, we hope, set a benchmark for sporting megaevents in the future.
In light of COVID-19, how many visitors is Qatar expecting for the FIFA World Cup™ and how will you ensure safety?
We expect approximately 1.2 million fans to visit Qatar during the tournament and are committed to delivering a safe and secure tournament for all.
In relation to COVID-19, Qatar is a global leader in safely hosting major events during the pandemic. Under strict health and safety protocols we hosted more than 70 AFC Champions League matches towards the end of 2020, including the final that was attended by 10,000 fans. We also inaugurated Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium in December last year with more than 10,000 fans attending, and welcomed a capacity crowd of 40,000 people to Al Thumama Stadium for the Amir Cup Final in October. This was a major landmark for the country as we edge closer to 2022.
When it comes to ensuring safety, we will continue to work with the relevant medical authorities both nationally and internationally. We recently signed an agreement with the World Health Organization, in collaboration with FIFA and the Ministry of Public Health in Qatar. The agreement covers cooperation to ensure that the World Cup is utilized as a platform to promote public health awareness, is ‘health secure,’ and that lessons learned are captured and shared with organizers of future mega-events.
Do you see the FIFA World Cup™ as a Qatari event or an achievement for the Arab World?
I think in many ways it is both. As a nation, we are obviously very proud to host the region’s first World Cup. But we have always emphasized that this tournament will be a celebration for the entire Middle East and Arab world. It is the first World Cup to be held in our region and has the potential to serve as a landmark moment in our collective history. Football has the power to unite us and break down social barriers. We hope that Qatar 2022 will build bridges of understanding between countries in our region and around the world.
“It is the first World Cup to be held in our region and has the potential to serve as a landmark moment in our collective history.”