The 29-day FIFA World Cup tournament, which kicks off on November 20, is expected to attract more than 1.2 million visitors. The FIFA Tournament Time Demand Model forecasts that over 1.7 million people could visit Qatar during the tournament, with approximately 500,000 visitors in the country on the busiest days. Many millions more will get better acquainted with the country through the realms of print media, broadcasts, and social media posts that will emerge from fans, teams, and journalists staying in Qatar. Qatar is estimated to be spending a massive $200 billion in the lead-up to the World Cup. Qatar has been preparing to host the Cup Qatar has been building up the necessary infrastructure to accommodate an estimated 1.2 million visitors during the month-long event, a figure that amounts to half of the country’s current population.
Hosting the World Cup serves as a vehicle to achieve the Qatar National Vision 2030 (QNV 2030), a government initiative to transform Qatar into a global society and provide a higher standard of living. The national development plans associated with QNV 2030 include projects directly tied to the World Cup and are intended to promote post-tournament sustainability. Qatar has been building up the necessary infrastructure to accommodate an estimated 1.2 million visitors during the month-long event, a figure that amounts to nearly half of the country’s current population. In addition to building state-of-the-art stadiums, Qatar has introduced a modern metro system, expanded its airport, and constructed new districts within the capital city, Doha. While estimates vary, Qatar will spend roughly $200 billion on these projects.
Qatar’s hope for the World Cup
Qatar’s economy is dominated by hydrocarbon exports. It has the world’s third-largest natural gas reserves and is one of the top oil producers. While natural resources have significantly contributed to Qatar’s prosperity, the market forces that dominate hydrocarbon exports also result in revenue volatility. Consequently, the country aims to grow its non-energy economy, with ambitions to become a regional business and tourism hub. Hosting the World Cup is key to realizing these ambitions. Between 2013 and 2018, the hydrocarbon share of Qatar’s GDP decreased from 55 percent to 39 percent, reflecting, in part, elevated public capital expenditure linked to World Cup preparations. The tournament has supported developments in critical non-energy sectors, and their sustained growth will be a priority for Qatar after the World Cup concludes.
In addition to diversifying the economy, Qatar aims to attract foreign direct investment (FDI). In June 2017, a coalition of Arab countries imposed an economic and diplomatic blockade on Qatar. As a result, the country’s FDI inflows plummeted from nearly $1 billion in 2017 to a negative $2.8 billion in 2019. Hosting the World Cup could precipitate a strong rebound in FDI. In 2018, Qatar laid the groundwork by allowing foreign investors to own 100 percent capital in all sectors to facilitate FDI inflows, eliminating the previous limit of 49 percent foreign ownership. And in 2020, Qatar introduced a public-private partnership law that allows investors to co-own infrastructure assets developed under long-term concessions. The hope is that investors will be attracted to Qatar’s World Cup-related infrastructure developments, economic growth, and more attractive international profile.
In January 2021, countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) signed the Al Ula declaration, lifting the embargo. While FDI inflows have remained stagnant, Qatar is still anticipated to become an investment hub. The State recently ranked 24th in the 2022 Kearney FDI Confidence Index, the first year the country made it on the list, due to investor enthusiasm over its market liberalization efforts and World Cup-driven growth.
The Risks of the World Cup
Despite the potential benefits of the World Cup, hosting major international sporting events are notorious for its poor return on investment. Forecasts indicate that Qatar’s economy will grow by 3.4 percent in 2022 and 2023, thanks to the World Cup boost, but then slow down by tom1.7 percent by 2024.
Qatar’s continued investment in modernizing its infrastructure is likely to expand transportation, commercial, and economic initiatives. Despite these concerns, the state strategically erected infrastructure to benefit the economy beyond the World Cup Qatar’s continued investment in modernizing its infrastructure is likely to expand transportation, commercial, and economic initiatives.
Qatar is set to advance its soft power, influence redefinition, prestige, status, infrastructure, and foreign policy goals The country will gain many economic benefits from the World Cup. There are many estimates of the economic gains from the World Cup. It is expected that the event will add $17 billion to Qatar’s economy. Other estimates suggest Qatar’s GDP growth will be fueled and it will generate a $4 billion revenue opportunity from tourist spending in the Middle East. Qatar News Agency recently reported that direct financial revenues from the World Cup are predicted to be $2.2bn, while long-term economic revenues from 2022 to 2035 are estimated to be $2.7bn, with strong tourism revenues expected to flourish during the World Cup and beyond. Other reports indicate that the World Cup is expected to give a $20 billion to $25 billion boost to Qatar. Data continue to point to strong non-oil & gas growth in Q1-2022, with the headline PMI averaging 60.2. This reflects a sharp expansion in business activity as well as new work. We expect this to continue as the country prepares to host the World Cup.
Qatar aims to transform World Cup infrastructure into new communities, schools, and hospitals as well as springboards for tourism in-flows. The Qatar National Vision 2030 envisions a diversified economy in which the private sector plays a prominent role and includes a project pipeline worth some $200 billion. Tourism got a big fillip from large investments in transport and urban infrastructures, such as the Hamad International Airport which opened in 2014, spawning new hotels, resorts, malls, and conference centers.
The World Cup would enhance the position of the country on the global tourism map. The positive momentum in Qatar’s tourism sector was reflected in the first half of 2022 with the country remaining a vibrant tourist destination in the region. The number of visitors rose to 729,000 in the first half of 2022, registering an increase of 19% over the total number of people who visited Qatar in the whole of 2021. Occupancy in the first half of 2022 was virtually back to pre-pandemic levels; 3.1mn hotel nights have been sold in the first six months of 2022, compared to 3.2mn hotel nights in the same period of 2019.
FIFA has estimated that about 3 billion people would watch the World Cup, and about 40 million people could seek to visit Qatar after the end of the event. Some three million tourists are expected to visit Qatar in 2023. Qatar faces a rental demand shift because of the country’s imminent hosting of the World Cup. Doha recorded an uplift of 23 percent in average rental unit pricing and Al Khor witnessed a 38 percent price rise over the same period.
Price hikes are expected to be temporary, and forecast a slight decrease in demand next year. Sales demands are attributed to Qatar’s new foreign property ownership, and to investments laws, and their inherent advantages as well as an increase in the areas that foreigners are now allowed to invest in Qatar
Covid-19 Risks
Qatar’s government is aware of the risk and is working hard to ensure the safety of citizens and residents, as well as visitors, from any health hazards. Qatar conducted a successful vaccination program, the largest in the country’s history Recent updates to the country’s Covid-19 travel and return policy will help attract more visitors in the lead-up to the World Cup, further boosting Qatar’s tourism sector.
Qatar on September 4 removed the list of countries subject to Covid-19 ‘Red Health Measures’ and quarantine requirements for all travelers arriving from abroad. However, people who evaluate positive for Covid-19 are required to undergo isolation and quarantine.
The policy measure will help entice many visitors to come to Qatar this year and beyond, positively impacting local tourism and other sectors.
Globally, all the current indicators show that Qatar is moving toward normal life since the end of 2019. Leisure and business travel are back.
GCC
The travel and tourism demand generated by the World Cup is expected to spill over to neighboring countries. Dubai and Abu Dhabi with their significantly large hotel room capacities are expected to see a surge in demand around the event.
The World Cup has been billed as an event that will benefit countries across the region, and Qatar Airways has partnered with Gulf carriers to set up match-day shuttle flights between Doha and major Middle Eastern cities. The GCC will benefit from the tourist expenditure during the event. Though Qatar will corner the lion’s share, about 85 percent, of the projected revenue share from the event tourist spending, the UAE, especially Dubai, will be the second most beneficiary of the revenue opportunity during the period. Numerous visitors were planning to stay in the city and use their for daily flight shuttles to travel to and from the event.
There are as many as thirty daily flights from Dubai to Qatar scheduled to be operated by FlyDubai alone during the world cup. Similarly, numerous shuttles will be operated from Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait during the period.
Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Kuwait will also gain from the World Cup. The event could become the springboard to drive tourism growth for Qatar, with over 50 percent of annual foreign tourists to Qatar this year coming during the November-December period. The world cup and National Plan 2030 together are expected to fuel tourism to help it reach about $35billion by 2030.
The study also projected that more than 70 percent of the world population are expected to be engaged with FIFA matches in 2022, much above the 50 percent population which engaged with the cup matches in 2018.
Meanwhile, Qatar plans to expand its hospitality industry to fulfill the country’s ambitious goal of attracting more than six million international visitors a year by 2030. The World Cup is expected to attract fans from other nations to the country. Football fans have so far snapped up 2.45 million tickets to November’s World Cup. There are plans to make three million spots available in total. Football fans have so far snapped up 2.45 million tickets to the World Cup. And there are plans to make three million spots available in total. Close to 521,000 tickets were sold in the most recent phase. Residents from the host nation Qatar, and neighbors Saudi Arabia and the UAE were among the top buyers.
Hamad International Airport, served a total of 7.14 million passengers in the first quarter of 2022, with 2.16 million passengers in January, 2.17 million in February, and 2.81 million in March 2022. The airport’s expansion is set to increase its capacity to more than fifty-eight million passengers annually by this year, and after the World Cup, its capacity will climb to over sixty million. The airport is gearing up for a busy tourist season. The airport will be processing 8,000-10,000 passengers an hour during the World Cup period, while Doha airport will serve 5,000-6,000 spectators per hour.
All airlines operating shuttle services will be running at peak capacity, and passenger levels and departure destinations will fluctuate as the World Cup progresses. To serve the World Cup markets, Qatar Airways will remove many destinations from its network and reduce frequencies on certain routes.
Qatar has high hopes from the event: an upswing in the perception of Qatar as a distinguished place for businesses that serve markets in the Middle East, a hub for trading between East and West, a new aspirational destination in which to holiday, increased demand for both residential and commercial properties, both for sale and rent. Qatar’s population will rise from its current 2.79 million to 3.02 million by 2026.
The World Cup has already brought stability to Qatar’s rental market. In the third quarter of last year, the median monthly residential rent in Qatar showed little movement in the second quarter which increased dramatically over the last quarter. This illustrates the continuous increase in supply across the market.
Qatar’s residential real estate will increase in the coming years. The infrastructure investment for the hosting of the World Cup, and the road network will boost the country’s efficiency and overall appeal which will help attract new businesses and events and white-collar employees needed to service them all of which will impact the real estate sector. This, coupled with the influx of DFI and Qatar National Vision 2030 will continue to create market opportunities, especially in the real estate sector.
Hotels in Qatar registered solid growth in occupancy rates and revenues in July 2022 as the country saw an increase in visitors and guests. The hospitality sector in the country is bound to witness a surge in demand fueled by initiatives taken by the government and the upcoming World Cup.
The two- and one-star hotels have recorded the highest occupancy rate in July this year as it surged to 90 percent against 72 percent in the same period last year. The hotel and hotel apartments in Qatar witnessed a robust performance with the overall occupancy rate being at 55 percent in July 2022. Among the hotels, the three-star hotels’ occupancy rate jumped to 85 percent in July 2022 from 81 percent in the same period in 2021.
The occupancy rate of four-star hotels stood at 60 percent in July 2022. Similarly, in the case of five stars, the hotels’ occupancy rates stood at 53 percent during the review period. The occupancy rates of deluxe hotel apartments and standard hotel apartments for July this year stood at 49 percent and 78 percent, respectively. Over the first half of the year, Qatar witnessed a 19 percent increase in the number of international arrivals compared to the full year of 2021 and is expecting an even stronger second half.
Hotels in Qatar also recorded a rise in revenue per available room which is used to assess a hotel’s ability to fill its available rooms at an average rate. Qatar welcomed 151,000 international arrivals in July 2022, the highest recorded number of visitors in the summer month since 2017.
The World Cup is viewed as an investment for the future, building infrastructure as part of their Nation Vision Program 2030. It could become the springboard to drive tourism growth for Qatar, with over 50 percent of annual foreign tourists to Qatar this year coming during the November-December period. The world cup and national plan 2030 together are expected to fuel tourism to help it reach about $35billion by 2030.
Qatar and the GCC
The GCC will become a base for the World Cup. Though Qatar will corner the lion’s share – about 85 percent – of the projected revenue share from the world cup-related spending by tourists, the UAE, especially Dubai, will be the second most beneficiary of the revenue opportunity as numerous visitors were planning to stay in the city and use the daily flight shuttles to travel to and from for the event. Dubai is now gearing up to host football fans from across the world during the event with dedicated fan zones being set up across the emirate. There are as many as 30 daily flights from Dubai to Qatar scheduled to be operated by Flydubai alone during the world cup. Air Arabia and Fly Dubai are running 45 flights daily to Doha between them. Shuttle flights are being arranged while hotels in Dubai are already overbooked.
Saudi Arabia could also see a spike in pilgrims due to the World Cup, and a 106% increase in occupancy is expected in Makkah compared to 2021. Hotel occupancy in Bahrain can go up by 9%, Kuwait around 24%, and Jordan will be 33% busier. The UAE announced a $27 multiple-entry visa, the ‘Haya’ card, for the reduced price over the 90-day period from November 1. The program comes within the UAE’s initiatives aiming to support Qatar, in hosting the event. The authorities have also introduced a provision that will allow the cardholders to extend the visa for another 90-day period at the normal price.
The ‘Hayya’ card doubles as an entry permit to Qatar and allows stadium access along with the match ticket, according to information available on the FIFA website. It is a personalized document issued and required by everyone attending the FIFA World Cup matches. It will also provide free public transport access in Qatar, including the metro and bus.
Saudi Arabia visa for ‘Hayya’ card holders
Spectators with the ‘Hayya’ fan ID will be granted a visa to enter Saudi Arabia ten days before the start of the tournament, allowing them to stay for 60 days. The visa will allow them to exit and re-enter the country during that period. Anyone applying for a visa must also obtain medical insurance before traveling to Saudi Arabia. Qatar is expected to struggle with housing the spectators, turning to neighboring countries to help provide hotel rooms.
There was a spike in bookings, with many expected to be at full capacity during the tournament. Organizers have also said they will house some of the spectators in “Bedouin” tents in the desert. Of more than ninety new flights that will land each day in Doha, about forty will leave from UAE. Dubai will be ‘the major gateway’ to the World Cup with more people coming through the city than Qatar.
An accommodation squeeze means tens of thousands of fans will base themselves in nearby countries for the month-long tournament. Match-day flights from major Middle Eastern cities will shuttle spectators to games, benefiting airlines, hotels, and hospitality venues across nations including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Oman.
The already popular tourism hub of Dubai stands to benefit the most. Of the more than ninety new flights that will land each day in the host city, Doha, about forty will leave from the UAE. A new hotel built on the Palm has been set aside for guests who plan to base themselves in Dubai and take the 40-minute flight to Doha with streamlined immigration procedures.
Dubai will be “the major gateway” to the World Cup with more people coming through the city than Qatar. A regional shuttle service will connect Doha with other cities including Muscat, Riyadh, Jeddah, and Kuwait City. Saudi Arabia and Oman are both holding festivals to entice fans and plan to streamline travel procedures. The Saudi Tourism Authority says it expects to welcome 30,000 visitors because of the World Cup, and those registered for Qatar’s Hayya fan card can apply for multiple-entry visas to the kingdom.
Meanwhile, Oman’s Ministry of Heritage and Tourism says the tournament will “raise the profile of many regional destinations” and have an economic impact well beyond the event.
Qatar Airways has announced that several Gulf carriers, including flydubai and Saudi, will operate day-time shuttle services to Doha during the World Cup.
EU
President of the European Council Charles Michel is currently visiting Qatar for the inauguration of the premises of the EU delegation in Doha. Michel said that he had conducted a number of meetings and political consultations with officials in Qatar, expressing his confidence that remarkable progress would be made on important issues of common interest, for example exempting Qatari citizens from entry visas to the EU, and taking other important decisions concerning relations between the two sides in the coming weeks. He noted the common aspirations and goals between the EU and Qatar, and their keenness to make more efforts related to achieving security, stability, and prosperity in all fields. Ambassador-designate of the EU to Qatar noted that the opening of the mission premises reflects the EU’s interest in Qatar, especially after the important achievements that have been achieved during the last period, foremost of which is the European Commission’s announcement of exempting Qatari citizens from the
EU (Schengen) visa, which will enter into force soon after completing the related procedures.
He noted that the great momentum witnessed by the European-Qatari relations reflects the political will, keenness, and firm desire to strengthen relations and to study the implementation of many joint projects and plans on the ground, as well as in strengthening cooperation on the issues of energy, security and stability, green transformation, digitization, and others. He praised Qatar’s significant role and its efforts to bring security, stability, and peace to the region and the world.
Regarding hosting the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, Tudor praised the achievements, reforms, and updates made by Qatar to host this tournament, affirming the readiness of the EU to provide support in various fields for the success of this global sporting event.
India
Indian airlines will also benefit from the World Cup. Air India is the latest airline to confirm more flights to the UAE and Qatar come November. The carrier, owned by Tata Sons since the start of this year, will relaunch four weekly flights between Dubai and Kolkata once the winter schedule starts on October 22.
Air India could deploy additional flights connecting India to Qatar. It is hoping that it would be able to win those additional flights, more so before November, when traffic on these routes is set to rise exponentially as footballs attend the World Cup matches of their choice.
The airline is operating sixty-nine weekly flights to Dubai and of these thirty-five are Dreamliners. This is seen as a move by Air India to increase its market share in the highly lucrative Gulf market by offering upgraded onboard services and newer aircraft.
Israel
Israel is holding direct discussions with Doha with the aim of reaching an agreement that would allow it to be able to provide consular assistance to its citizens planning to travel to the event.
Israel is further seeking to set up de facto diplomatic presence in Qatar, with which it has no official relations.
Qatar has not shown positive signs regarding Israel’s reported attempts to use the event as a springboard for diplomatic ties with the oil-rich Gulf state. However, the talks have not yet reached a conclusion and are ongoing. Senior Israeli officials were in Doha for talks focused on coordinating travel from Israel to the country.
Israel was also asked to allow Palestinian soccer fans to travel to Doha for the World Cup. Qatar had previously announced that it will allow Israelis to travel to the state for the tournament, although the latter would have to be granted a special visa.
Israel and Qatar established trade relations in 1996 and have maintained low-key economic and non-official diplomatic ties since.
Dual national Israelis could enter Qatar using another passport in the past, but the new deal will allow them to enter it using their Israeli documents.
15,000 Israelis have bought tickets for the World Cup, and it is estimated that between 25,000 and 30,000 Israelis could travel to the World Cup. Earlier, in April, Israel was mulling banning its citizens from traveling to Qatar citing security concerns.
Iran
Earlier, in May senior Qatari and Iranian officials met in Tehran, exchanging views on how to facilitate tourism during the World Cup. The two countries’ officials discussed ways to further deepen tourism, cultural heritage, and handicraft ties by taking advantage of the World Cup opportunity.
The Iranian government mulled over a visa simplification procedure for the World Cup. The Iranian government plans to grant a free visa to citizens whose national football teams qualify for the World Cup for a one-time or a two-time period with a validity period of two months and a 30-day stay.
The two countries have agreed to increase their bilateral efforts in the tourism and transportation sector, especially during the World Cup. Qatar inked several cooperation agreements in April, which covered areas of air transportation and the major football tournament.
The agreements included documents previously signed during Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi’s visit to Qatar in February; three bilateral documents in the aviation sector, an agreement in maritime transportation, and a document detailing cooperation grounds regarding the World Cup. A total of six documents were either activated or newly inked. Furthermore, during the meeting between Iranian and Qatari senior officials, there were discussions about launching regular shipping lines between Iranian and Qatari ports were emphasized.
A consented arrangement included tasks to connect Doha Flight Information Region, which was laid out as per the International Civil Aviation Organization goal, with Iran’s flying data domain.
In addition, Iran’s Foreign Ministry also proposed a visa-free plan to enable the entry of World Cup visitors to Tehran without charge. The expected free-of-charge visa plan would potentially cover nationals whose countries have qualified for the World Cup. Some four hundred direct flights from Iran’s Kish Island to Qatar are also scheduled to be launched in conjunction with the World Cup 2022, in a bid to further expand Iran’s tourism arm.
The World Cup is viewed as a fresh opportunity to promote Iran as a regional touristic hub and a chance to confront ‘Iranophobia’ sentiments. The event is seen by the Iranian government as a significant opportunity to represent the true face of Iran by efforts to dwindle the so-called anti-Iranian sentiments.
Iran expects a spurt in tourism, and it has reached a series of agreements with Qatar to host football fans. It hopes to increase tourist footfall at islands and cities in southern Hormozgan province. In addition, a marine tourist line will be inaugurated between the port of Bushehr in Iran and Hamad port in Qatar during the World Cup. Fans will be able to hop on ‘shuttle flights’ between their hotels on the island and the stadiums in Qatar. Iran can benefit because of its closeness to Qatar. The event can be a good opportunity, especially for the southern regions of the country.
There are more special conditions in Bushehr province than in other provinces since it is in the closest proximity to Qatar, with Dayyer port in Bushehr being 160 kilometers away from Qatar’s Al Ruwais port. Due to the proximity of the two countries, ports, Qatar can provide part of its needs through Dayyer port during the World Cup and the months leading up to and after it. During the World Cup, spectators and travelers can also travel by sea and through Bushehr to Qatar.
For a long time, Bushehr has had commercial relations with Persian Gulf countries, and now these relations should be revived and expanded even further. Several plans and measures have been made in Bushehr to take advantage of the World Cup in Qatar, including strengthening the port infrastructure. Qatar has launched a new office in Tehran to facilitate travel for the event. The office is tasked to oversee a range of marketing initiatives, including tour operator partnerships, destination training for travel agents, media visits, and advertising. Iran is one of fifteen target markets identified by Qatar Tourism as a primary source of tourists. Weekly direct flights between Doha and different Iranian cities, namely Tehran, Shiraz, Mashhad, and Isfahan, which usually accept less than three hours, provide an added layer of convenience to keen travelers.
Iranian passport holders are also granted visa-free entry, which exempts Iranian nationals from any prior visa requirement. Instead, citizens can opt to obtain a visa waiver upon arrival to Qatar. It will be valid for 30 days from the date of issuance, which can even be extended for an additional 30 days.
Security Risks to the World Cup
There are extraordinarily few chances of a security breach or situation in the World Cup.
There have not been any well-publicized security threats to Qatar. Qatar maintains friendly relations even in a reliably volatile region. Qatar is also well-positioned against asymmetric threats like terrorist attacks Still, Qatar has collaborated with international partners and acquired high-tech capabilities to boost its security in the air, at sea, and on the ground. As expected, a strict security protocol has been put in place to ensure the safety and security of the World Cup many countries are participating to ensure that the event remains safe.
NATO
NATO is assisting Qatar in providing security ahead of the World Cup. In July, Turkey’s interior minister Suleyman Soylu said the country will send 3,250 security officers to Qatar for the World Cup, and Ankara had also trained Qatari security personnel ahead of the competition. Earlier this year, NATO confirmed that it will also provide security during the event. As part of the close cooperation between Qatar and NATO, the North Atlantic Alliance will provide support for the security aspects of the World Cup, it said in a statement.
The support will include training against threats posed by Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) materials. It will also include training for the protection of especially important people (VIPs) and to counter threats posed by improvised explosive devices, it said.
On September 6, 2022, Qatar, and Italy’ have signed joint technical arrangements on defense cooperation This comes within the framework of cooperation for securing the World Cup between the Qatari Ministry of Defence and the ministries of defense of the countries participating in securing the football tournament.
Qatar has taken delivery of its first batch of Eurofighter Typhoons, the latest major acquisition by the Gulf nation that will help beef up security for the competition.
The planes were included in a grand ceremony at Dukhan / Tamim Airbase on the western side of the peninsula just days ago that also featured F-15QAs, the NH-90 tactical transport helicopter along with its naval counterpart, and the Rafale fighter.
The Typhoons will be part of the Joint Typhoon Squadron, also known as the 12 Squadron, which is run in partnership with the United Kingdom. The squadron will provide air security for the event.
A joint squadron with the Qatari Emiri Air Force (QEAF) of Typhoons will patrol the airspace during the tournament. The planes make the most recent addition to the security cordon Qatar is attempting to erect.
Since their formation as a joint squadron in June 2020, 12 Squadron have exercised regularly in Qatar, and the World Cup deployment coincides with a pre-planned deployment.
The Typhoons themselves are the product of a December 2017 contract between Qatar and BAE Systems to procure 24 of the jets and nine Hawk Mk 167 advanced training in an $8 billion deal in total.
Italian firm Leonardo contributes to both the airframe and the avionics of QEAF Eurofighter Typhoon. The Typhoons are equipped with ECRS Mk0 radar, and Praetorian DASS – designed to provide protection against air-to-air and surface-to-air threats, by monitoring and proactively responding to the operational environment The Italian company is responsible for all the Air Traffic Management electronics and meteorological equipment for the Hamad International Airport, securing the arrival of passengers from players and crowds to the World Cup.
The country is also taking delivery of NH90 helicopters from Leonardo, courtesy of a deal in August 2018. For those, the French firm Thales supplies the ENR radar, avionics, EW CATS (Electronic Warfare, Compact Airborne Threat Surveyor for helicopters), radios, and Transmission Data Link.
Leonardo has delivered six out of 28 NH90 helicopters in both the Naval and Tactical versions, and the program is on track. These additions to Qatar’s air force are operational, and the flight crews and technicians have received extensive training with the support of the Italian Army and the Italian Navy.
To protect itself from the sea, Qatar has signed many contracts in recent years to procure advanced ships equipped with radars and monitoring capabilities.
As a part of its investment in security, the Qatari Navy ordered four Al Zubarah-class corvettes, a landing platform dock, and two offshore patrol vessels in a deal signed in 2016 worth approximately $5 billion, built by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri. The fourth corvette was launched in late April this year at the Muggiano (La Spezia) shipyard.
Each of the seven new ships is equipped with Leonardo’s combat and surveillance systems, particularly the command management system that comprises Leonardo 3D AESA Grand Kronos Naval radar, IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) interrogator and transponder, and an IRST surveillance and tracking suite.
Earlier this year, and during Dimdex 2022, Qatari Navy signed a new contract with Leonardo to develop a Naval Operation Center (NOC) for the military service, the first of its kind in the country. The center ensures navy forces monitor and control Qatar’s territorial water, Exclusive Economic Zone, and adjacent waters. The center, which will control radars and sea-based tracking in real-time, will include electronic warfare systems, but it is currently unclear if it will be up and running in time for the games.
There are many threats on the ground like terrorism incidents or just out-of-control crowds. The greatest risks during the World Cup are related to crowd control as the event will bring several risks of crowd mobilization, riots, and potentially fights. Mass panics could erupt where large numbers of people suddenly move across a fairly contained space. To meet such an eventuality, the Qatari law enforcement bodies together with their multiple partners from across the world have trained for such events and are well prepared when it comes to crowd control.”
The event will bring together citizens from rival or even adversary nations, Israelis, Saudis, and Iranians, for instance, which increases the risk of an incident. Thus, the World Cup could lead to animosities being played out in Doha. Therefore, some of the most critical pieces of technology expected to be employed by Qatar include information-gathering, surveillance, and intelligence systems. Qatar has developed an extensive integrated monitoring network complete with audio-visual sensors, drones, and CCTV that is fed into the National Security Center. Here, potential risks are assessed and potentially engaged before threats materialize. Those Thales airborne and maritime systems are also integrated on the ground there.
In the immediate vicinity of the stadium, Qatar is also working with the American Fortem Technologies on counter-drone strategies, the company announced in July.
Fortems SkyDome, is reputed to be the best in the world with kinetic defeat when low-collateral damage is needed. Included in the system is the DroneHunter hunts other UAVs in the sky and takes them out by shooting out a specialized net, tethering the threat, and dragging it away to a designated location.
For a more exotic but potentially far more deadly threat, NATO announced in June it would provide support including “training against threats posed by Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) materials, which will be delivered by Slovakia and NATO’s joint CBRN defense center in the Czech Republic.
Other support will include training for VIP protection and counter IED capabilities, courtesy of Romania. Considering all the above, experts believe that there is little threat to the 2022 games, whether from a nation-state, a proxy, a terror group, or just rowdy crowds.
Pakistan
Pakistan will be providing security cover for the event, and an agreement was recently signed between Qatar and the Pakistan army after Doha requested assistance. Approved by the federal Cabinet, this arrangement would allow the government to provide troops.
Earlier, Qatar had requested assistance in security-related matters for the event.
To validate security and management plans for the event, it read, the Joint JSHQ has proposed signing of the agreement. The summary stated that the Law and Justice Division had vetted the draft agreement and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Directorate General of the ISI had no objection to it.
Subsequently, the summary said: “Approval of the cabinet is solicited for the signing of the agreement of Cooperation in the Field of Security Coverage for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 between the State of Qatar through the Ministry of Interior and the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, by circulation.”
A summary outlining the agreement, to be signed between Doha and Islamabad, was approved by the cabinet. It was not immediately clear when the agreement would be signed between the two countries.
Social and Political Risks
Qatar is being criticized for its lack of preparedness to build the infrastructure required for the World Cup.
Residents of the emirate are being told their rent is being jacked up – and are even being evicted – to make room for football fans who will be flooding in this November
it was announced 12 years ago that Qatar would host the 2022 World Cup, residents wondered how a small Gulf emirate would be able to cope with an estimated 1.2 million visitors over the course of five weeks.
In the ensuing years, the country embarked on a massive modernization, construction, and greening project of the otherwise dusty capital, Doha. The total bill for those decade-long efforts has ballooned beyond $229bn, but as the November start of the tournament grows nearer, foreign residents are starting to feel the pinch.
Over the last few weeks, more and more foreign residents have started to open up about the efforts of hotels and property managers to exponentially increase rents, halt renewals of rental agreements, or outright cancel contracts with tenants.
Though most of the conversations are still relegated to phone calls and WhatsApp messages, the concerns have slowly started to make it to social media, with Deux Moi-style anonymous posts about overly aggressive landlords and management companies trying to squeeze tenants out.
Residents have started receiving warnings about changes to their rental agreements as early as last September. The first warning signs were the annual rent increases. Traditionally, residents can expect a 10 percent bump, but this year, they have received alerts that their rents would increase by anywhere from 20 to 35 percent.
This includes high-profile residences like The Pearl-Qatar, an artificial island development that is home to the likes of Versace, Hermes, and Ferrari, where rents for a one-bedroom apartment usually range between $1,600 and $2,500 a month.
The residents said they suspect that if tenants move out, property owners are hoping to double the rent for any potential tenant from October to December 2022. With Airbnb rentals currently ranging between $31,200 and more than $300,000 (in The Pearl) for the 28 days of the games, the worried residents said landlords will likely feel emboldened to keep hiking up rental prices during the World Cup.
A recent Reuters report corroborated this, saying that many new apartment and villa developments are being allocated specifically for World Cup fans, who will need more than 64,000 rooms. In April, Qatari local media reported that in the last quarter of 2021, rental listings in Doha and its surrounding areas saw increases of between 36 and 45 percent.
She said residents suspect that the property owners will furnish their semi-furnished apartments, knowing “they can easily get $500 per night per bedroom” throughout the course of the World Cup.
In response to a tweet by a local news source, one anonymous account said simply, “landlords are gouging tenants” for the tournament, a practice they see as a form of “extortion”.
Another anonymous user echoed the sentiment, saying “greedy” property owners are “exploiting” foreigners and that currently “everyone just wants to squeeze all the money” from people.
On the World Cup’s own accommodation website, a basic apartment in an older area of town runs at just under $600 a night, and a container cabin goes for a nightly rate of $207. Residents said property and hotel owners are also encouraged by both the two-night minimum stay imposed by local authorities and reports from as far back as late 2021 that all hotels in the smallest country to ever host the World Cup have been fully booked.
An aid worker whose employer has put her up in a hotel says most hotels have already stopped taking bookings beyond September. “If you call any hotel here, it doesn’t matter which one, they’ll just say there’s no room,” she says.
A researcher currently living in the city agrees: “If you go back over all of Qatar’s past promises of how many hotel rooms, they’d have ready for the Cup they’ve fallen far short of every benchmark.”
One property company also operating in The Pearl-Qatar has changed the minimum length of a new rental contract from one year to two months, residents told MEE.
With most employers not raising wages or accommodation allowances, residents whose companies have not yet provided alternative housing fear they will be priced out of any other places to live for anywhere between one to three months in the late autumn and early winter.
“If you aren’t able to secure your lease now, then there’s a real dread of whether there will be available apartments in your price range at all,” a media worker said about the growing fear among residents.
The researcher currently based in the country said these practices are not without precedent.
When infrastructure and development projects took off in earnest in 2011, there were major plans for the areas around the Souq Waqif, a reconstructed historical market that sits in the location of a traditional bazaar, and the Msheireb neighborhood, which has been completely redeveloped from a grubby, forgotten part of the city to a gleaming “metropolitan” quarter at a cost of $5.5bn.
To make room for this modernization, the researcher said foreigners looking for cheaper rents than the West Bay neighborhood, home to gleaming glass and metal skyscrapers, had to be pushed out.
Property owners did this “first by increasing the rent and then by shutting off the electricity and water and finally by bulldozing the housing,” said the researcher.
A media worker currently based in Europe, said the housing worries are “the only thing” her friends still in Doha talk about.
Doha’s inability to keep up with demand may in fact be a boon for its more glamorous neighbors, who are more used to housing foreign visitors, especially those looking for the luxury experience.
Real estate managers in Dubai, less than an hour by plane, said they have seen a noticeable uptick in short-term rentals in the emirate, including some that are going for as high as $410,000 for the month of the World Cup.
In Qatar itself, fear of repercussion by employers, property managers, and the government has left many residents hesitant to speak too freely or publicly about their growing concerns. MEE spoke to several residents in the Qatari capital, but all requested anonymity in fear of retribution.
Survey finds some hotels will not accept Though Qatar allows for peaceful assembly, residents were still hesitant to go on the record with their fears, even when posting online.
This worry is not without reason. Last year, Malcolm Bidali, a Kenyan security guard and workers’ rights activist, was detained, placed in solitary confinement, and fined more than $6,800 under charges of spreading “false news with the intent of endangering the public system of the state”.
Only a few months later, seven men protesting at a perceived exclusion of certain tribes from local elections were arrested and accused of “using social media to spread false news and stir up racial and tribal strife.” Last week, four of them were sentenced to prison over the demonstrations, two for life.
Given such cases, the journalist said residents fear that posts and public discussions of efforts to displace them could be seen as being “part of an organized protest” which could then lead to an adverse response. The anxiety is made more real by people facing these imminent evictions.
Qatar is being criticized for its environmental record and pledges unmet. The Middle East’s first ever soccer World Cup promises boom time for Dubai hotels this November, with thousands of fans expected to descend on the Gulf city due to limited accommodation in neighboring host nation Qatar.
But the environmental costs of transporting those visitors 400 km (249 miles) for match days, overwhelmingly by plane, raises further doubts over Qatar’s pledge last year to host the first-ever carbon-neutral World Cup. Climate advocates had already raised doubts about the tournament being carbon neutral, although the organizers have announced a string of initiatives to reach that goal.
These include solar-powered stadium air conditioning, using shipping containers as building materials, and purchasing credits to offset emissions, a measure organizers have said should be recognized, not criticized. But Greenpeace Program Director Julien Jreissati said the tournament was not going to be carbon neutral even before shuttle flights were organized. “The problem with offsetting is, basically, it doesn’t work,” he said.
Today, Qatar is also facing a barrage of criticisms from Western countries on its human rights record ahead of the event. As expected, the western media is full of criticism which mostly pertains to the treatment of migrant workers that built the infrastructure for the event.
Recently, famous football player David Beckham faced backlash after appearing in a promotional video for Qatar Tourism.
The former England captain is an ambassador for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar in a deal reported to be worth £10-15m.
In the decade since Qatar was awarded the tournament, thousands of migrant workers have died, and the country has been criticized for restricting the freedoms of women and gay people.
His relationship with Qatar has been questioned by Amnesty International. Thousands of migrant workers have died over the past decade since Qatar was awarded the tournament, and the country has come under scrutiny for other human rights abuses including restricting the freedoms of women and gay people.
In the one-minute video (Visit Qatar has also released a full 30-minute version) entitled ‘David Beckham’s Qatar stopover’, the 47-year-old enjoys a few days in the gulf state eating food, visiting markets, and riding a motorbike. “It’s another beautiful day here in Qatar,” he says. “This will go down as one of my favorite mornings. People in Qatar are immensely proud of their culture. The modern and traditional fuse to create something special.”
He adds: “Qatar really is an incredible place to spend a few days on a stopover. I cannot wait to bring my children back.”
Beckham received criticism on social media. One Twitter user wrote: “In a place [Qatar] where it is illegal to be gay, and women must be chaperoned by men, am not sure I would call the place perfection. Oh, and that is before we talk about the thousands of slaves who have died building FIFA’s stadiums.”
Amnesty’s Sacha Deshmukh hopes figures like Beckham can speak out about the problems the country clearly faces.
Deshmukh told BBC Sport: “Qatar’s human rights record is troubling, from the country’s long-standing mistreatment of migrant workers to its curbs on free speech and the criminalization of same-sex relations.
“It’s not surprising that David Beckham wants to be involved in such a major football event, but we would urge him to learn about the deeply concerning human rights situation in Qatar and be prepared to speak out about it.”
Migrant workers have been used by Qatar to help build the infrastructure needed to host the World Cup. Amnesty claims thousands of deaths related to the construction of the buildings have not been thoroughly investigated.
A spokesperson for Beckham recently said: “David has been visiting Qatar regularly for over a decade and went on to play for (Qatar-owned) PSG – so he has seen the passion for football in the country and the long-term commitment that has been made to hosting the World Cup and delivering a legacy for the region.
“He always talked about the power of football as a force for good on many levels. As we reach the one-year-to-go point, he will join the wider football community that is coming together for the World Cup 2022, and he is looking forward to what he thinks will be a great tournament.”
In the United States, there was much criticism of Qatar for human rights abuses.
Qatar recently arrested at least sixty foreign workers who protested going months without pay and deported some of them, an advocacy group said, just three months before Doha hosts the World Cup.
The move comes as Qatar faces intense international scrutiny over its labor practices ahead of the tournament. Like other Gulf Arab nations, Qatar heavily relies on foreign labor. The workers’ protest a week ago — and Qatar’s reaction to it — could further fuel the concern.
The head of a labor consultancy investigating the incident said the detentions cast new doubt on Qatar’s pledges to improve the treatment of workers. “Is this really the reality coming out?” asked Mustafa Qadri, executive director of the group, Equidem Research.
Qatar recently arrested at least sixty foreign workers who protested going months without pay and deported some of them, an advocacy group said, just three months before Doha hosts the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The move comes as Qatar faces intense international scrutiny over its labor practices ahead of the tournament. Like other Gulf Arab nations, Qatar heavily relies on foreign labor. The workers’ protest a week ago — and Qatar’s reaction to it — could further fuel the concern.
As activist groups like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have attempted to shine a spotlight on the plight of migrant workers in Qatar, U.S. Soccer and other national federations have been working quietly behind the scenes, encouraging the Qataris to extend labor and social reforms and to stick with them when the tournament is over.
2. Analysis
Political Effect and Risks to China
Qatar will soon host the FIFA World Cup, advancing the country’s infrastructure and foreign policy goals. Yet concern is high regarding the infrastructure’s lasting utility and poor treatment of the migrant workers who came to build it. For Qatar, hosting the FIFA World Cup is a strategic move to advance the country’s infrastructure development and foreign policy objectives. However, progress on these two goals has raised concerns regarding the infrastructure’s lasting utility and poor treatment of the migrant workers who are responsible for building it. These concerns represent challenges Qatar will need to address in the coming years as it strives to redefine itself as a Gulf metropolis.
With that said, the World Cup has also brought greater attention to Qatar’s human rights record. Numerous investigative reports have highlighted the abuse of migrant workers during preparations for the World Cup. Moreover, migrant workers in Qatar do not receive fair compensation for the arduous working conditions or adequate remedies for serious labor abuses and injuries suffered due to World Cup preparations.
Public Opinion Against China on the Taiwan issue
On June 15, 2022, Taiwan lodged an official complaint to Qatar for saying Taiwanese fans may be listed as being from China and demanded organizers not allow “improper political factors” to interfere in sporting events. The original story was published in Reuters and subsequently reported in the western media numerous times. For example, Soccer-Taiwan condemns Qatar for ‘politicizing’ World Cup amid China spat. www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/soccer-Taiwan-condemns-Qatar-for-politicising… The US News carried the story and added to it. The report is rendered below only because it was published by many organizations across the world. It stated the following:
The issue is extremely sensitive for democratically governed Taiwan, which bristles at China’s claims of sovereignty over it, and particularly its giant neighbor’s efforts to claim people from Taiwan as being from China. All World Cup ticketholders must apply for the Hayya card used to identify fans, which also serves as their entry visa for Qatar. On Tuesday, a drop-down menu of nationalities on the application system had no listing at all for Taiwan, and a senior Qatari official said Taiwanese were likely to be listed as being from China on the card.
The online system was listing “Taiwan, Province of China”, terminology that equally angers Taiwan’s government and many of its people, though it did also include a Taiwanese flag, a symbol anathema to China’s government. Taiwan Foreign Ministry spokesperson Joanne Ou said it was “unacceptable to belittle our country” and they were looking for organizers to make an “immediate correction of their ways.” “The Foreign Ministry again calls on the organizers of the World Cup to not allow improper political factors to interfere with simple sports activities and tarnish sporting venues that value fair competition and emphasize the spirit of the athletes,” she added. Organizers should let sports be sports and give fans around the world “a clean World Cup football event.” There was no immediate response to the comments from World Cup organizers.
The Qatar government’s communication office was not immediately responding to requests for comment. Taiwan competes at most international sporting events, like the Olympics, as “Chinese Taipei” to avoid political problems with Beijing. It has never played at the World Cup finals and crashed out in the second round of Asian qualifying for the 2022 tournament last year after losing all eight matches. Taiwan has no diplomatic relations with Qatar, which, like most countries, only recognizes China’s government. China, seeking to assert its sovereignty claims, has been stepping up pressure on countries and foreign companies to refer to Taiwan as part of China in official documents and on websites, often using the wording “Taiwan, Province of China”, or “Taiwan, China.” When asked about the complaints made to the Qatar World Cup organizers by Taiwan officials, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said he wished to reiterate that “Taiwan is part of China.” “Maintaining the one-China principle is a basic norm of international relations and is the widely held consensus of the international community,” Wang told reporters at a regular briefing in Beijing on Wednesday.
