Qatar Bidding to Host 2018 & 2022 World Cup

Qatari FA Launch a Bid to Bring the World Cup to the Middle East

Jan 29, 2009 Luke Broadbent

As time to submit a bid to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cup Runs out, Qatar has launched a bid to bring the football tournament to the Middle East.

All prospective hosts for both the 2018 and 2022 World Cup FIFA World Cup events must declare their intentions by February 2nd.

With the deadline fast approaching, the oil-rich nation of Qatar has launched its bid to stage one of the tournaments.

Qatar’s Olympic Disappointment

In October 2007 Qatar became only the second Arab country to mount a serious bid to host the Olympic Games, the first being Egypt.

The city that bid for the event was Doha, the capital of Qatar, and despite a better IOC evaluation score than Rio de Janeiro, Doha was controversially eliminated from consideration.

After suffering this embarrassing setback, Qatar quickly turned her attention to hosting the FIFA World Cup.

Qatar’s Sports Hosting Experience

The 2006 Asian Games were held in Doha, yet some problems arose that may well have damaged Doha’s chances of hosting the 2016 Olympics.

Upon the conclusion of the spectacular opening ceremony the heavens opened and rain poured down. Numerous spectators and officials ended up soaked, thus Qatari officials were challenged because it was believed that no effort had been made to safeguard people in the event of heavy rain.

In 2011 Qatar will experience hosting a major football tournament. The small Arab peninsula will play host to the Asian Cup.

In recent years Qatar has become a big payer in the world of sport and the country is now home to a MotoGP race every season and a prestigious tennis tournament at the start of the year.

Problems with Qatar’s Bid

The size of Qatar could turn out to hamper their bid, as the area of the country is 11,436 km². The entire country is slightly smaller than Connecticut.

The World Cup is one of the planet’s leading events, consequently thousands, if not millions, of people will converge on Qatar, if they were awarded the World Cup. Consequently, fears of over crowding may not be misplaced.

Another problem could turn out to be the climate of Qatar. The World Cup will take place between the months of June and July; a time when Qatar experiences extreme heat that can reach 50ºC.

A Growing Qatar

Doha is currently served by the country’s only airport, Doha International Airport. However, a little east of the current airport construction is ongoing to complete the New Doha International Airport by 2015.

The new airport will be one of the largest in the world and it is estimated that upwards of 50 million people a year will utilise the new facility.

The road network in Qatar is better than many in the region; nevertheless the roads are currently undergoing vast upgrades.

Other plans include constructing a metro system to operate throughout Doha.

Football Stadiums in Qatar

Four of the country’s six biggest stadiums are all located in the capital, Doha. Perhaps more alarming is the fact that only one stadium in Qatar has a capacity greater than 25,000.

The largest stadium in Qatar is the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, which is capable of holding 50,000 spectators.

Al-Gharrafa Stadium in Al-Gharrafa, along with Umm-Affai Stadium in Umm-Affai both have a capacity of 25,000.

Most astonishing of all is that plans have been drawn up for an underground football pitch, the very first of it's kind anywhere. The arena, dubbed "The Wall" or "The Laptop", will be air-conditioned to combat the sweltering heat in Qatar and it will have only one stand capable of holding just 11,000 people.

The hosts of both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups will be announced in December 2010.

Other Bids:

Indonesia Bidding for 2018 & 2022 World Cup

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