ON TOUR: The World Cup 2022 Qatar

On Monday 21 November the 22nd FIFA World Cup finals begin in Qatar with England v Iran one of the opening-day matches.

ON TOUR: The World Cup 2022 Qatar was published 10 January.  This is an updated version following the author’s visit to Doha for IATA last week.  See also BTN 17 January ON TOUR Discover Qatar. Go to "FIFA World Cup update" for the latest information on the Doha event.

The Qataris are a very hospitable people writes Malcolm Ginsberg, and this has rubbed off on the worldwide expatriates attracted to the tiny Gulf State by its work possibilities and high standard of living. The current population is 2.8m of which only 10% are indigenous.

Included in last week’s visit was an invitation to see a Jennifer Lopez concert at the remarkable Khalifa International Stadium (68,000 capacity), the venue for England’s opening match.  Wales kick-off v USA is the same day at the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium.  If you are thinking of going to the World Cup it will be an expensive trip.

As an alternative perhaps you would like to consider a holiday in Qatar to get a feel for the mighty event, but leave it until October.  The summer months are unbearable.

November/December can be best described, weather-wise, as summer in the UK.  A coat is never needed and even the open-air soccer stadiums are air conditioned.  

If you are considering the finals, for even the early matches, get your booking in now.  A seven-night trip inclusive of four matches at a bed and breakfast 4-star hotel, return flight, airport transfers and a sightseeing tour with Qatar Airways Holidays from Edinburgh, Gatwick, Heathrow and Manchester airports will cost from £4,161.   British Airways fly from Gatwick and Heathrow.

This World Cup will be totally different from those in the past, even Russia last time around.  It is estimated that three million people attended the 64 matches in that tournament with teams being eliminated all the time as the tournament progressed. Flexibility with travel was paramount, likewise accommodation.  Doha will be a challenge for both Qatar and FIFA.

As the last games in the preliminary round reach a conclusion and progress is made towards the Final, I cannot see large numbers of supporters flocking in through the only land gateway, Saudi Arabia.  It is a flight or standing in Trafalgar Square, by the Eiffel Tower, at the Brandenburg Gate or some similar major rendezvous point around the globe.  From Dubai an air shuttle is being organised to the former international airport with another alternative being the hire of a private yacht from the UAE ports.   

Arriving into Qatar’s Hamad International Airport could not be easier, the airline (in my case Qatar Airways) excellent and the Al Maha welcoming services well worth the fee. A buggy meets you at the gate, there is priority at immigration and a lounge to relax whilst waiting for your transport.

Recently voted Skytrax World’s Best Airport, Hamad International makes passage easy.  If you have not got arrangements the taxis are plentiful and, as a guideline, £10 will take you to the city centre.

If it is the Metro that you want that is a 10min walk. Use the lifts to the platforms saving the tedious escalators.  It is a 15min ride to Msheireb, the fast-developing central area where the three Metro lines (red, green and gold) converge.  

My accommodation, the excellent Marriot Marquis, was by the Convention Centre station, 5mins further on.  If you choose to stay in one of the many hotels in Msheireb there is a courtesy local tram service, but is all walkable and mainly pedestrianized.  In the so-called new city Lusail (home of the National Stadium) a similar tram network opened to bring in 2022.

A four-journey card for two on the Metro cost Q10, a little over £2.50, a real bargain and you can buy an upgrade for the splendid premium carriages. The 900-passenger units are fully automatic and operate every 3/4mins.  

Either buy a local sim or try not to use your home-based mobile phone.  It can prove to be expensive.

As a general rule costs for dining are cheaper than in the UK.  Outbound, Hamad International Airport has a fine and competitive duty-free.


The Actual Competition

The 2022 World Cup will feature 32 teams in eight groups of four.

Four matches will be played daily during the group stage, which will run over a 12-day period and see winners and runners-up progress to the round of 16 and a knockout competition.

The Official opening of the tournament is at the Al Bayat Stadium with Qatar v Ecuador 19:00 (all times are local) on 21 November, but Senegal v Netherlands (Al Thumama) is at 13:00, England v Iran (Khalifa) 16:00 and USA v Wales (Ahmad Bin Ali) 22:00.


THE STADIUMS

Lusail National Stadium the venue for the final has just been completed with a temporary capacity of 80,000 and as with all the other venues is cooled using solar power with a zero-carbon footprint.  The local tram network connects with the Metro system.  It is the nearest stadium to the West Bay Lagoon with its 5-star hotels and private yacht anchorages and about 15 miles north of Doha central.

Al Bayt Stadium is the only ground not actually in the city of Doha, but sited at Al Khor, about 30 miles to the north with a 60,000 capacity.  It is the venue for the opening World Cup ceremony and takes its design inspiration from the traditional tents of the nomadic people of the area.  Access for the most part will only be by road transport.  It will be used for one of the semi-finals (14 December).  The exterior walls and peaked roofs of each of the four stands surrounding the pitch are covered in polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) woven fibreglass membrane to create the tent-like form. A retractable roof connects the four stands to enclose the stadium.

Al Janoub Stadium is at Al Wakra at the end of the red Metro line with seating for 40,000. According to the designers, it was inspired by the sails of traditional Dhow boats, used by pearl divers from the region. The curvilinear roof and exterior profile references Al Wakrah's history of seafaring. The building is meant to resemble upturned dhow hulls arranged in a huddle to provide shade and shelter. The roof of the stadium is retractable, and is made from pleated PTFE fabric and cables, with the roof arches being 230 metres long.

Al Rayan Stadium first opened in 2003 but was demolished in 2015 and replaced by a new complex with a 40,000 capacity.  It is officially called Ahmed Bin Ali.  The most characteristic element of the stadium is the illuminated facade with an area of 39,000sq metres, which consists of multimedia screens covered by a translucent metal screen. The appearance of the facade refers to the values of Qatar, as well as elements typical for the landscape of this country. It is at the end of the green line with Al Riffa Metro station nearby.

Al Thunana Stadium is another 60,000 capacity venue completed one year ago and circular in design taking its inspiration from the traditional taqiyah (Muslim skullcap), worn by men and boys across the Middle East.  It is close by the old airport site next to the Doha Express Highway.  It is not well connected when it comes to the Metro but one can comfortably predict a fine courtesy shuttle service to a convenient station.

Khalifa International Stadium originally dates from 1976 and has hosted many major events including 2006 Asian Games.  It adjoins The Torch Hotel, the Villaggio Mall shopping complex, Aspire Park and is sited between two stations at the end of the gold line.   It is England’s home for the opening rounds with a 68,000 capacity.

Education City Stadium is newly built with a capacity of 45,000, due to be reduced to 25,000 after the World Cup.  It is at the centre of a sports and education complex and has its own Metro station on the green line.

Stadium 974 is a temporary prefabricated structure which you can see from the Corniche and is the only stadium to be relocated after the World Cup.  It has a 45,000 capacity.  It was the noisy (both inside and outside) venue for the Tunisia v Egypt match in the Arab Cup. Rad Bu Abboud on the gold line is the nearest Metro, a 25-minute walk of just over one mile.  The number 974 represents the international dialling code for Qatar (+974) and is also said to represent the number of shipping containers used in its constriction.  Some have been retained for hospitality and restroom use.

Qatar is a conservative Muslim country that has adapted to western practices.  Qatar Airways is not a dry airline (unlike Saudia) and offers the same pre-bookable special meals as any other carrier (including kosher).  No, pork products are not available, served or sold anywhere in the country.

The Secretary General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, Hassan al-Thawadi, said that “alcohol is not part of our culture, but hospitality is”  If the experience of Liverpool fans who went to the Club World Cup in 2019 is anything to go by, drinking is no problem. The fan zone’s bars, located behind Doha's golf club about 12km (seven miles) north of the Khalifa stadium hosting the rump of the tournament, did a brisk trade in Heineken and Stella Artois.  The regular FIFA sponsors have not backed out. Providing you stick to the Qatar rules, fans will not suffer a lack of alcohol.  Liquor will be around aplenty although many hotels are not licensed, nor are eating places.  Bars, as we know it, do not exist.

A holiday in Doha between now and October will cost somewhere between £100 and £150 per room per night bed and breakfast in a 4/5-star hotel.  Qatar Airways is now up to ten flights per day out of the UK at prices between £600 and £800 Economy return, plus single British Airways Gatwick and Heathrow services.  Discover Qatar packages are available via the Qatar Airways website and from any good travel agent or tour operator in the UK.

https://digitalhub.fifa.com/m/6a616c6cf19bc57a/original/FWC-2022-Match-Schedule.pdf
www.discoverqatar.qa
www.qatarairways.com
www.qatarairways.com/fifa2022
https://www.qatarairwaysholidays.com

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