Two Year Countdown to the World Cup 2022 Begins

In exactly two years, the world's most exciting sports tournament will open. An opening ceremony on an epic scale will greet spectators in the stands of Qatar's brand new 80,000 seat Lusail Stadium, as well as many millions watching on screens across the globe. 

The FIFA 2022 World Cup Qatar will have been one of the most talked-about and anticipated football tournaments in the world. Not only will this competition be held in one of the richest countries per capita and one of the hottest regions in the world, but it will also be held for the first time in the Middle East - an often misunderstood entity. The tournament will introduce untold numbers of people to the positive and fascinating aspects of Arab and Islamic culture, and an astounding, relatively unexplored country. The main aim of which has been to bring unity, understanding and prosperity to the region. 

In embarking on this endeavour, Qatar has, in line with the nation's own development plans, undertaken a phenomenal project. At lightning speed, the country has set out to construct eight state-of-the-art stadiums, an ultramodern airport, a new Metro system, new roads, hotels, resorts, museums, parks, souqs, malls and entertainment venues - even brand new cities, marinas and islands. All of this in strict adherence to a carbon-neutral, environmentally friendly tournament protocol, and an ever-evolving and modernising human rights system. Under the world's gaze, the nation has become more open, more accessible and accommodating, and more modern. 

The tournament will also be the first truly international sporting event since 2020's pandemic ravaged year. A year full of fear, uncertainty, and economic hardship as the virus's invisible force obliged billions to change their lifestyles dramatically. To say it is a bright spark on the horizon, particularly in the football world, is an understatement. 

So, what do the next two years hold for Qatar and their preparations for the 2022 event?

The Final Preparations

In truth, the majority of the key construction and infrastructure projects are complete or in the final stages of completion - a fair achievement with two years still to go before the starting whistle blows. Three stadiums have been inaugurated, Al Bayt Stadium is completed and awaiting inauguration, Al Rayyan and Al Thumama Stadiums are in the final throes of construction with the surrounding landscaping to finalise, and Lusail Stadium and Ras Aboud Stadium are steaming ahead. Likewise, training pitches and associated tournament venues are all but finished. The majority of transport networks (metro, light rail, tram and highways) linking the city to its new stadiums and other major attractions are complete. And, the country's already acclaimed new airport is in the midst of a breathtaking expansion scheme.

Over the next two years, the country will be focussing its efforts on further developing its hospitality sector. During the World Cup, it is estimated that over a million visitors will be looking for a place to stay. At the time of Qatar's bid to host the tournament, there were approximately 40,000 rooms available with talk of over 100 new hotels and properties being built in preparation for 2022, creating about 55,000 additional rooms. Traditional hotels - luxury to economy, eco-hotels, floating hotels, temporary hotels, waterside to desert hotels, as well as fan villages, resorts, residential towers and apartments, are under construction or planned over the coming years. And, for all of those visitors, there needs to be entertainment. From beaches and parks, museums and malls to entertainment villages, cities and islands; the next two years development plans contain them all.

The coming two years will also see Qatar, in preparation for the World Cup, increasing its experience in hosting large sporting events, while simultaneously appraising its stadiums, associated infrastructure, safety and security capabilities and communications capacity. In the coming months alone the nation will be hosting the Asian Football Confederation Champions League - east region, and the tournament Final. The west region tournament, held in September/October ‘20 during the height of the country’s pandemic, was a resounding success and gave a glimpse of Qatar’s adept hosting mettle in a crisis. The postponed 2020 FIFA Club World Cup will also be held in Qatar in February - the second time the tournament has been played out in Qatar, who hosted the event last in 2019.

As well as the practical aspects of delivering the World Cup, there are also the less tangible, but no less important delivery components - marketing and promotion. Qatar’s official body responsible for the tournament, the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy and their official partners will be engaged in a carefully planned programme of publicity campaigns all the way to the 2022 games. The aim of which will be to continue to generate the buzz and excitement that go hand in hand with this much loved event. Indeed, to mark the ‘two years to go’ milestone and to commemorate its partnership with FIFA, Qatar Airways recently unveiled aircraft specially branded in FIFA World Cup 2022 Qatar livery - something which will now be seen far and wide across the globe.

Over the next two years, the excitement will continue to build alongside the preparations for the competition. And, while Qatar certainly won’t be resting on its laurels over the coming months, they can undoubtedly take a step back and admire how far they have come.