World Cup 2022: Report explains how Qatar spent $200bn to host tournament | OneFootball

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·27 September 2022

World Cup 2022: Report explains how Qatar spent $200bn to host tournament

Article image:World Cup 2022: Report explains how Qatar spent $200bn to host tournament

Qatar will controversially host the 2022 World Cup later on this year.

The tournament that is set to kick-off just under two months from now is still far from ready to welcome the more than one million fans expected to converge on the nation.


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As of March, there were only a reported 33,000 hotel rooms in the country, 80% of which had already been booked by FIFA for teams, officials, staff and sponsors.

And despite Qatari government representatives ensuring that the Gulf state would deliver up to 130,000 rooms in time for the tournament, things are looking pretty scant on the ground in terms of affordable accommodation.

As a result, many fans will be forced to stay in neighbouring countries like Saudi Arabia and the UAE and commute to games on matchday, leading to widespread complaints amongst fan bases.

It’s hardly an ideal situation for Qatar, who were hoping to bring the World Cup to the country to showcase it in all its glory.

Yet in a recent report set out by The Sun, the outlet has explained just how much investment the Gulf State have sunk into trying to make the upcoming tournament a success.

How Qatar have spent $200 billion on hosting the World Cup

Much of the investment has had to go into developing the nation’s infrastructure and transport links, the biggest of which being the Doha Metro.

Opened in 2019, the huge underground transportation network is expected to be key for supporters who want to get around the city at speed and cost roughly $36 billion to develop.

The Doha Metro:

Hamad International Airport was a second key element. First opened in 2014, the nation has since spent $16 billion developing it in recent years.

Whilst an enormous part of Qatar’s $200 billion expenditure has gone on building Lusail, a former village, into a fully-fledged city.

Fatma Al Nuaimi, Communications Executive Director for the tournament, explained that these three developments were all part of Qatar’s wider vision for life after the World Cup.

“The World Cup is a part of the Qatar National Vision 2030, a broader government strategy promoting the intensive development of urban and national facilities and industry, in addition to education and healthcare systems.

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“Most of these large-scale infrastructure projects, which will be used by teams and fans in 2022, such as new roads, a subway, an airport, hotels and other tourist facilities were planned even before we obtained the right to host the World Cup.”

Of the total amount spent, it is reported that just $6.5 billion has been spent on the development of stadia and fan facilities. A figure which seems rather low given they’ve built seven new state of the art arenas.

Article image:World Cup 2022: Report explains how Qatar spent $200bn to host tournament

With just under two months to go to the commencement of the football’s most premier competition, fans won’t have to wait long to see if Qatar have managed to successfully prepare themselves for what awaits them this winter.

And having spent more than 20x what Russia forked out on hosting the tournament in 2018 ($11.6 billion), there’s certainly plenty of pressure to make sure that everything works out just right.

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