Driver Trett Digest Issue 22 October 2021 - Flipbook - Page 9
DIGEST | ISSUE 22
QATAR WORLD CUP
2022
Daniel Morris, Technical Director,
Qatar.
In Issue 4 of the Driver Trett Digest (09.2013), Peter Banathy, Regional Director
– Middle East, discussed the potential challenges that Qatar faced in delivering
on its ambitious plans to host the Middle East’s first ever FIFA World Cup. Eight
years on, we reflect on how Qatar’s plans have progressed and what the future
holds for Qatar, beyond 2022.
On 2nd December 2010 Qatar won the right to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup, the
first time that the tournament has been awarded to a Middle Eastern country.
To deliver on its commitment to host the world’s biggest sporting event, and
also, to meet Qatar’s National Vision by 2030, Qatar embarked on a significant
advancement of its infrastructure which included highways, stadia, rail, aviation,
and marine projects.
In the 2013 article, the potential challenges identified were said not to be ‘financial’
given the strength of the Qatar economy due to its extensive oil and gas exports, but
rather ‘logistical’ such as sourcing materials and plant, labour, and professional
support, especially given the heavy reliance upon an expatriate work force.
OVERCOMING THE CHALLENGES
With Qatar being a small peninsula in the Arabian Gulf, sea transportation is
the major mode of importation into the country. The Doha Port had served as
the country’s main gateway since the early 1950s, but in order to satisfy Qatar’s
development plans, the government invested in the construction of a new port,
Hamad Port. Hamad port is one of the world’s largest greenfield port developments
at a reported cost of US$7.4 billion, significantly increasing Qatar’s importation
capabilities.
It became operational in December 2016 with further expansion plans forecast to
complete in late 2022.
Qatar also shares a land border with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia which provided
a further route for Qatar to source construction materials and plant. However,
following a matter of a geopolitical issue involving the Gulf Cooperation Council
(GCC) in June 2017, which saw traditional trade routes cut-off, Qatar had to
overcome a logistical challenge that was perhaps unforeseeable back in 2013. At
that time, Hassan al-Thawadi, secretary general of the Qatar World Cup Supreme
Committee explained to the world media that the government acted quickly, and:
“…contacted the main contractors; we put in place alternative supply chains, we
sourced alternative materials from alternate suppliers. I’m very happy to say that
our project scale is on time and there is no significant impact on our projects.”
Al Janoub stadium, built for the
2022 World Cup
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