ABSTRACT
In February 2009, Qatar expressed its interest in hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Processes included a bid registration in March 2009, a formal bidding agreement in December 2009, submission of a Green Book in May 2010, a FIFA Inspection Team visit in September 2010 and the announcement of its successful award of the tournament in December 2010. Qatar competed along with Australia, Japan, South Korea and the USA for the 2022 finals and will become the first country in the Middle East to host this first-order mega-event. Its campaign had the support of the entire Middle East region, whilst the decision to bid for the tournament was also aimed at creating a greater understanding of social, cultural and political life across the Middle East amongst the rest of the world’s population. Moreover, in the specific context of creating a lasting legacy from the event, Amara (2005) reported that Euros 40 million was being invested in the development of Qatari football, the courting of foreign coaches and the signing of overseas players as a means of underpinning the country’s emergence on the world sporting stage. Previously Qatar hosted the 1995 U20 FIFA World Cup, the 2006 Asian Games and, more recently, the 2011 AFC Asian Cup. For its successful 2022 award, Qatar’s bid concept was aligned to its national development strategy and presented novel approaches around event operations and legacy. The bid was strengthened by the steadfast support offered by the Qatari government, its clear link to the ‘Qatar National Vision 2030’ strategy and the Qatar Master Plan for infrastructure, specifically its designs around enhanced transportation systems across the country. An expenditure budget of US$645.5 million for Qatar 2022, including the Confederations Cup (considered as a test event in the year prior to the World Cup) was submitted to FIFA, with a projection of nearly 2.87 million ticket sales for the tournament. Interestingly, and indeed something of a surprise development, sustainability was the main criterion of the Qatari bid, which, it is said, will be achieved by offering a comparatively ‘compact’ World Cup finals. The proposed stadia will each be less than an hour apart by public transport and thus fans will be able to stay in the same accommodation throughout the tournament; thereby reducing the event’s carbon footprint. By 2022, Qatar will have almost 110,000 hotel rooms and serviced apartments, 90,000 of which have been guaranteed for FIFA’s use.
