Qatar 2022 World Cup Bid

When I first heard about Qatar's bid for hosting 2022 FIFA World Cup, I have to admit that I wasn't very thrilled about the idea. Even though I am a huge football enthusiast, having the most anticipated and most watched event in the whole world a little more than 40km away did not appeal to me. From the articles that I read, it seems that most people are concerned about the heat of the summer and how it will affect both players and fans, but my reservations are not about the weather. I'd rather watch the world cup on TV being held in a place like Mexico, Russia, or even Australia; a nation with some sort of history in the world cup, a country that qualified at least once. I am sure Qatar has a lot to offer, after all I think Qatar's opening ceremony and organization of the 2006 Asian Games were amazing. But should hosting the world cup be based just on capability?

One could argue that Bahrain were given the opportunity to take part in Formula 1, so did Abu Dhabi which also hosted the FIFA Club World Cup, without any connection to the sport whatsoever. And Qatar certainly have shown their capability in their development of the Education city, Aspire academy and other projects, and in the following images I think they certainly showed their will to succeed in this bid. Whether this will be enough to make for a special atmosphere to host the world cup, I still have my doubts.



The official bid consisted of 5 stadiums, 3 brand new and 2 existing ones that will be renovated. However, I have came across several images of other proposed stadiums but I included only 1 that caught my eye.

Al-Shamal Stadium




I am not the sort of person who saves best for last, so here is my favourite bit of Qatar's bid. A brand new stadium with a capacity of 45,120. The stadium's shape is derived from the "dhow", a traditional fishing boat used all around the Arabian Gulf, and will be built near the Bahrain-Qatar Friendship Bridge.


Al-Khor Stadium




A new stadium as well, with a capacity of 45,330 and inspired by the shape of a seashell. One notable feature is the retractable roof providing shade for both spectators and players.


Al-Wakra Stadium



The brand new 45,120 capacity Al-Wakrah stadium will be located in a sports complex that will consist of an aquatic centre, spa, sports facilities and a mall, located near the future route of the Doha express way.


Al-Gharafa Stadium



The existing 21,175 capacity Al-Gharafa stadium will be expanded to 44,740 seats with temporary modular elements forming an upper tier. The facade will be made up of ribbons representing the nations that qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, a gesture symbolizing the values of the tournament; mutual friendship, tolerance and respect.


Al-Rayyan Stadium



As in the case of Al-Gharafa Stadium, the existing Al-Rayyan Stadium with a seating capacity of 21,282 will be temporarily expanded to 44,740 seats using modular elements to form an upper tier, which will be removed after the tournament. The stadium is designed with a special "media facade" membrane that will act as a screen.


Tameem bin Hamad Stadium




Inspired from Qatar's culture, the stadium takes the shape of a traditional Bedouin tent, called in Arabic "Beit Al Sha'ar". It will have the capacity of 65,000 seats. However this stadium is not included in the official website for Qatar's bid.



For more info check out the official website for Qatar's bid and the flickr set for more images