Manchester: The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) showcased the progress being made on infrastructure delivery ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar at the Soccerex Global Convention currently in session in Manchester .
Nasser Al Khater, Executive Director, Communications and Marketing, outlined the SC’s vision as Qatar gets ready to host the first ever Fifa World Cup in the Middle East. He was interviewed on stage by distinguished broadcaster Sir David Davies.
“We have had an open-air air cooled stadium in Qatar at Al Sadd since 2008, so the concept is real and works”, Al Khater said.
“During the World Cup, we operated our 2014 Brazil Fan Zone, an incredible facility where we had more than 10,000 people coming to watch games. Inside the temperature was lowered to between 12-15 degrees while it was very warm outside.
“We were very happy with the results and we’re pressing ahead not just with the cooling but with everything. We have spent a lot of money on infrastructure. Our Metro system is in full swing and a lot of work is being done on roads”, he said.
Al Khater noted that the two stadiums are under construction and by the end of the year we will have another three. “We’re ahead of schedule in terms of infrastructure. We’re in a good place and delivering ahead of time.
“We wanted to make sure we had local companies involved. We realised we needed international companies who had built stadiums of these magnitude in the past. We looked at joint ventures and this is a model we’re following. So far regional companies are involved as well, bidding for projects.
“We want the ideal solution for the World Cup with the minimum of disruption for the rest of football. For the players, heat won’t be an issue”, he said.
Al Khater added: “We will have cooled stadiums, training pitches and cooled public areas for the fans. There is a divide but that doesn’t surprise me. Some people will say its tradition and this is the way it must be. The world is divided. I would like to see a show of hands in here to see how many people think it’s unthinkable to host in the summer (around half).
On support of the Arab world, Al Khater said that there is a lot of football tradition and passion in the Arab world. The support is there. Everyone has a feeling of pride.It needs to come to the Middle East. The time is right for it, he added.
On crticism about labour issue, Al Khater said: “We try to clarify the facts. There has not been a single fatality on any World Cup project. We’re not running away or saying there are no problems.
QNA
