The number of stadiums that will feature in the 2022 World Cup still hangs in the balance and will not be finalised until next year, according to Nasser Al Khater, executive director for marketing at the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy.
It has been widely reported that Qatar plans to drastically scale down its ambitious venue plans for the 2022 World Cup. These reports were sparked by comments made by the Supreme Committee’s senior manager for projects at a conference on 23rd April, who stated that only eight stadiums would be used.
With the Supreme Committee having neither discounted this possibility nor given reasons why cutting back to eight stadiums might be an option, the international sports event community has come up with its own suggestions, with cost control being considered to be a possible motivation.
Addressing such “speculation”, Al Khater said “That’s not true actually.”
Speaking to delegates at Soccerex Asian Forum on Tuesday, he said “In our bid, as FIFA stipulates, we proposed a minimum of 12 and a maximum of 18.”
The minimum number of stadiums required by FIFA is eight and this figure remains a possibility.
“In 2015, will decide alongside FIFA how many need for the World Cup,” he said.
Al Khater was speaking in place of Hasan Al Thawadi, Secretary General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, who was unable to attend the event.
Al Khater also took the opportunity to set the record straight on reports of poor workers’ welfare on World Cup construction projects.
“Contrary to what international media says, there is no single injury or death on World Cup projects,” he said.
“However, from the very beginning we have taken the issue of workers’ welfare very seriously,”
Although civic infrastructure developments are progressing rapidly in Qatar, construction has not started on World Cup sites. Only one of the new stadiums, Al Wakrah, is under construction.
By the end of 2014, five World Cup stadiums will be under construction, Al Khater told delegates.
Tag: Qatar
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Qatar World Cup stadiums to be confirmed in 2015
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Ground broken for Qatar 2022’s first stadium
Preparations to lay the foundations for Al Wakrah Stadium, the first stadium being built for the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup, began on Monday.
Local construction company HBK has started major excavation work on the site, which will enable the foundations to be start being laid in September 2014.
The groundwork is scheduled to be completed by March 2015, with the entire stadium project expected to be finished in 2018.
AECOM is providing design consultancy and construction supervision services on the stadium, which was designed by Zaha Hadid. The preparatory works at Al Wakrah were carried out by AMANA, a Middle Eastern firm with headquarters in United Arab Emirates. The contractor for the main construction phase will be announced at a ceremony in September.
“As a Qatari contractor, the decision to award HBK the contract following a tender process implemented for a number of Qatari contractors with local knowledge and proven capabilities follows the Supreme Commitee’s vision to develop the private sector,” the Supreme Committee said in a statement.
The 40,000 seater stadium will be surrounded by a 560,000 m2 (60-hectare) precinct, which will include a new sports centre and a range of community facilities including a park, mosque, school, hotel, wedding hall, vocational training centre and retail outlets.
The stadium’s modular design will allow 20,000 modular seats to be removed after the World Cup, when they are planned to be donated to countries in need of sporting infrastructure, according to the Supreme Committee.
The contract with HBK contains the Supreme Committee’s new Workers’ Welfare Standards, aimed at protecting the rights of workers through all stages of contracting. “The new Al Wakrah Stadium will contribute to a significant legacy of enhanced workers’ welfare in the country,” said the Committee.
Al Wakrah is one of at least eight stadiums that will form part of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
By the end of 2014, at least five World Cup stadiums are scheduled to be under construction, with the total number of venues to feature in the tournament to be confirmed by December. Three existing stadiums – Khalifa, Al Gharrafa and Al Rayyan – are to be expanded for the 2022 World Cup.
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Yaya Toure convinced by Qatar 2022 plans
Manchester City star Yaya Toure got more than the hospital treatment he was visiting Doha for this week. The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy made the most of the occasion, showcasing their plans for the 2022 World Cup tournament to the Ivorian midfielder.
“At Manchester City we talk about the World Cup in Qatar, but sometimes only because you hear very negative things,” Toure said. “If I’m honest, I had questions before I came to Qatar, especially about the weather. It is very hot and you ask yourself how it will be possible for players to play in this heat?”
The Supreme Committee welcomed the world-leading midfielder to the Legacy Pavilion – one of the venues that FIFA inspectors visited in 2010 before Qatar won the right to host the tournament. He was shown how stadiums will be cooled in environmentally-friendly ways and how and modular construction techniques will benefit developing countries after the tournament.
“Now that I have seen the plans and watched this amazing presentation, I have the answers. It is amazing,” Toure said.
“I didn’t understand the plans Qatar has. I didn’t know about the cooling technology or anything like this. I am so surprised. It has everything.
“I have played in the World Cup before. I am about to play in another one. I know what you need for this sort of tournament to be successful. Qatar looks like it has the plans to succeed.”
“For sure I will be telling my teammates about these plans because Qatar is planning to have everything. It’s fantastic.
After helping his team to win the English Premier League, Toure went to Doha’s Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital for treatment on a minor injury. He joins the Ivory Coast national team in Dallas, Texas on Thursday to prepare for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Toure hopes to still be playing by the time Qatar is hosting. “In 2022 I will be 40 and maybe that’s too old to play at a World Cup. I’m trying to work out how I can be involved because this is the future. It looks amazing.” -
Respect cultural differences, Qatar 2022 implores
Qatar is looking forward to welcoming in the world in 2022 but international football fans must return this hospitality by respecting the culture of the host nation, a senior organiser told HOST CITY magazine.
“2022 will be about bringing people together and if people give us a chance, we will prove this will be the World Cup that will change their hearts and minds,” said Yasir Al-Jamal, deputy general secretary of the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy.
“Part of our culture has always been about showing people our hospitality. As a country we will be proud to do that and as a region with so much to offer, we will be proud to welcome the world.”
Drinking alcohol will be permitted during the World Cup but public displays of affection will be deemed inappropriate.
“Alcohol or public displays of affection are not part of our culture; however, hospitality most certainly is. In recognizing that, alcohol is available in Qatar and fans will be able to have a drink at the 2022 FIFA World Cup,” said Al-Jamal.
“Everyone has their beliefs and cultures. We welcome and respect that. All we ask is that other people do the same for us.”
In the exclusive interview, Al-Jamal points out that one of Qatar’s primary motivations in hosting the World Cup is to break down preconceptions about the Middle East.
“We always saw the tournament as the opportunity to build bridges between East and West,” he said.
“So often this part of the world is misunderstood. To utilise the power of football to alter people’s perceptions of the Middle East is something to be proud of.”
In the interview, Al-Jamal also discussed the issues of venue sustainability and temperature control.
To read the full interview with Al-Jamal and much more unique, exclusive content, register to receive the next issue of HOST CITY magazine.
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FIFA should publish corruption investigation
Speaking at Securing Sport 2014 in London on Tuesday, Franz Beckenbauer told a select group of the press including HOST CITY that FIFA should make the findings of its investigations into alleged corruption public.
Beckenbauer was on the FIFA Executive Committee during the controversial bidding procedure for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. Asked to reveal who he voted for, he said he had to respect the rules of the secret ballot. He also categorically stated that he did not accept, or receive any offers of, lavish gifts in attempts to influence votes.
But he did say “I was surprised that Qatar won. It was a good bid like all the others, but it’s not possible to play football there in the summer. You have to put a lot of effort into cooling the stadiums. My suggestion would be to host in the winter.”
In June 2014 Beckenbauer was suspended by FIFA from all football related activities for failing to help with the investigations of FIFA’s ethics prosecutor Michael Garcia.
Beckenbauer then agreed to take part in the investigation and the ban was lifted.
He told Securing Sport that he did not initially complete Garcia’s questionnaire because it was in complex legal English and he would have preferred to have answered such questions in German.
FIFA has indicated that the ethics report, which should now be in its final stages, will not be made public. But Beckenbauer said the report should be made public as soon as it is finished.
“Rumours are going round and that is very negative,” he said. “If the recent report has been finalised, it should be published. It’s up to FIFA – there is an Executive Committee to make these decisions, but personally, there is nothing to hide.”
Winning bid was my best achievement
Beckenbauer told delegates at Securing Sport that winning the bid to host the 2006 World Cup exceeded all of his many sporting and professional achievements.
Franz Beckenbauer led his national team to world cup victory as captain in 1974 and as manager in 1990. Yet asked by moderator David Walsh of the Sunday Times to name his greatest achievement, Beckenbauer said “Winning the bid for 2006 was the greatest moment of my sporting career.”
The greatest effect of winning the bid was the effect it had on sport in the country, he said. “German football has never been better than now; that is down to the World Cup. We have great infrastructure and full capacities.
“The way football has developed is fantastic. I feel sorry for other sports: you switch on the television and all you see is football.”
Beckenbauer told delegates in London that hosting the World Cup could have a similar positive effect in England. “It is surprising that England hasn’t won the World Cup since 1966. There is so much talent, such great stadiums and fans, financially there is no problem.
“If England won a bid to host a World Cup, perhaps that might be an incentive for improving the standard of football.”
To find out more about bidding procedures for major events, register for HOST CITY Bid to Win on 28th October
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IAAF sees Doha’s plans for Athletics City in 2019
The IAAF evaluation commission left Doha on Friday, having completed their inspections of all three cities bidding to host the 2019 World Athletics Championships, having visited competitors Barcelona and Eugene earlier in October.
The IAAF’s group of experts is producing reports evaluating the bids to host the 2019 IAAF World Championships. The host city of the flagship biennial athletics event will be elected at the IAAF council meeting in Monaco on 18 November.
Qatar’s biggest city officially submitted its candidature file to host the Championships on September 25 and is competing against bids from Barcelona and Eugene in the US state of Oregon.
Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, secretary general of the Qatar Olympic Committee and Dahlan Hamad, the president of the Qatar Athletics Federation, welcomed the evaluation commission, chaired by IAAF Vice-President Sebastian Coe, on Thursday.
The Doha 2019 Bid Committee and its partner, the Aspire Zone presented to the IAAF at Khalifa International Stadium.
“It is an honour to welcome the IAAF Evaluation Commission on their inspection tour of Doha and we hope to demonstrate Doha’s true character as a sporting hub for the region and the world,” said Hamad. “We are committed to continuing our work with the IAAF to develop athletics and ensure a lasting legacy from the World Championships for generations to come.”
Ali Saeid Al Fhaida, acting director of Aspire Logistics, took the Evaluation Commission on a tour of the Aspire Zone’s facilities, which have played host to several international sporting events including the 2006 Asian Games, the 2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships and the 2011 Arab Games.
Doha is also hosting the 2015 Asian Youth Athletics Championships.
The commission also saw the ongoing renovation of the Khalifa International Stadium, where they were greeted by members of the Qatar National Athletics team as well as Russian hurdler and Doha 2019 Ambassador Sergey Shubenkov.
“I am supporting Doha 2019 because I believe that it would inspire a whole new region to participate in athletics,” Shubenkov said.
“The Middle East has never hosted the World Championships before and 60 per cent of this region’s population is under the age of 30. This brings an unrivalled opportunity to showcase athletics and introduce a new generation to track and field.”
Another bid partner, Msheireb Properties, gave a presentation to the commission at its Enrichment Center on Doha’s Corniche waterfront, giving more information about its ambitious plans for an “Athletics City” that would replace the traditional Athletes’ Village concept.
A single, brand-new 35 hectare mixed-use development called Msheireb Downtown Doha, in the heart of the city, will be handed over in its entirety for the dedicated use of the 2019 Championships.
The commission also visited the Qatar National Convention Centre, which would host the IAAF’s Congress in 2019 in the event of Doha overcoming Barcelona and Eugene in its bid to host the World Athletics Championships.
After the Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup, the IAAF World Championships is the third largest sporting event in the world, with more than 200 participating nations, more than 2,000 athletes and an estimated global TV audience of 6 billion over 200 territories and 9 days of competition.
The next IAAF World Championships will take place in Beijing in 2015 followed by London 2017.
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Wrong conclusions on bid report, says FIFA investigator
The findings of FIFA’s long awaited ethics report into the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups were announced today (Thursday), with the judge’s summary saying there was limited evidence of improper conduct. However, the investigator who produced the report says the summary misrepresented his facts and made erroneous conclusions.
In his summary, Judge Hans-Joachim Eckert concluded that there was not enough evidence to remove Russia or Qatar’s rights to host the World Cup or reopen the process, saying that any breaches of rules by bidding nations had only a “limited scope”.
Michael Garcia was hired by FIFA 18 months ago to find out the truth about widespread allegations of collusion and bribery in the bidding process that saw Russia and Qatar win the hosting rights to the 2018 and 2022 World Cups respectively.
“Today’s decision by the Chairman of the Adjudicatory Chamber contains numerous materially incomplete and erroneous representations of the facts and conclusions detailed in the Investigatory Chamber’s report,” he said on Thursday. He is now expected to appeal to FIFA’s ethics committee.
In his 42-page summary of Garcia’s 430-page report, Eckert said that concerns over the activities of bidding nations were “limited” and not sufficient cause to question the outcome of the election.
“The effects of these occurrences on the bidding process as a whole were far from reaching any threshold that would require returning to the bidding process, let alone reopening it,” said Eckert.
Contraventions identified in the summary included improprieties in England’s bid campaign, namely incentives to executive committee member Jack Warner.
“England’s response to Mr Warner’s – improper – demands, in, at a minimum, always seeking to satisfy them in some way, damaged the integrity of the ongoing bidding process. Yet, such damage was again of rather limited extent,” said Eckert.
“We cooperated fully with the Ethics Committee’s investigation and continue to believe that a fair and appropriate review will demonstrate the integrity and quality of our bid,” said the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy said in a statement.
“FIFA welcomes the fact that a degree of closure has been reached with the chairman of the adjudicatory chamber stating today that ‘the evaluation of the 2018/2022 FIFA World Cup bidding process is closed for the FIFA ethics committee. As such, FIFA looks forward to continuing the preparations for Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022 which are already well underway,” said FIFA’s statement.
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Qatar 2022 stadium design meets tough cooling targets
The organisers of the Qatar 2022 World Cup, unveiled the latest stadium design today, with details of the cooling technologies described by lead architect Mark Fenwick as a “challenge” to incorporate.
The Qatar Foundation Stadium is the fourth stadium design to be revealed by the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, who announced the plans on the anniversary of Qatar winning the right to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The venue, based in Education City on the outskirts of Doha, will be combined with a Health and Wellness Precinct and educational programmes.
“Designing the Qatar Foundation Stadium was a unique challenge as it incorporates the innovative cooling technologies being developed by the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy,” said Mark Fenwick, lead architect for RFA Fenwick Iribarren Architects.
According to the Supreme Committee, the design will create a comfortable environment for football. “Pitch and spectator terraces are cooled to the target temperatures; the players’ and spectators’ comfort levels will meet and exceed FIFA requirements and guidelines for safe play and spectating.”
The stadium is to be cooled using chilled water from the local air conditioning network combined with an innovative roof design.
The opening in the stadium roof is designed as a cavity, to act as a wind break and slow down the movement of hot air outside the roof. This process is passive and consumes no energy, helping to reduce the building’s overall energy consumption by reducing the amount of cool conditioned air escaping.
The active cooling system used by the stadium will take in chilled water from Education City’s existing district cooling network.
The high energy consumption of air conditioning will be further offset by photovoltaic and reflective technologies to produce energy for electricity and hot water. Photovoltaic and solar thermal panels are proposed to power the stadium, swimming pool and indoor pavilion.
According to the Supreme Committee, photovoltaic and solar thermal panels could be placed on the stadium roof.
The developers are aiming for a Gold Sustainability Building Certification in the US Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) ratings system.
To attain this, at least 20 per cent of all materials used is proposed to come from sustainable sources. 50 per cent of all wood-based materials are to be procured from sustainable forestry sources, while 20 per cent of all materials are to be sourced regionally in a bid to reduce the carbon footprint of logistics.
The construction is being managed by Qatar Foundation’s Capital Projects Directorate, which is setting its own standards in workers’ welfare, based on the Supreme Committee’s recommendations.
“With the exception of the early works contractor, who was awarded prior to the release of the QF Mandatory Standards of Migrant Workers’ Welfare (QF Standards), all contractors and sub-contractors working on this project will be contractually required to comply with the QF Standards,” says the Supreme Committee.
“Both sets of standards—which are based on Qatari labour law and international best practices—establish minimum requirements that protect the rights of workers from recruitment to repatriation.
“The SC and QF Standards are very similar and only differ in terms of the accommodation specifications.”
The stadium is scheduled for completion in 2018 with a capacity of 40,000 seats to host matches up to and including the quarter-final stage of the World Cup in 2022. The stadium will be reconfigured to 15,000 seats after the World Cup.
The members-only Health & Wellness Precinct will incorporate medical clinics and sports facilities, football pitches, gymnasiums, tennis courts and facilities for non-traditional sports such as climbing as well healthy restaurants and cafes.
“Through innovative design, sustainably-sourced materials and the latest cooling and energy-efficient technology, the Qatar Foundation Stadium and Health & Wellness Precinct will not only allow us to host an amazing FIFA World Cup but also leave a genuine legacy in Qatar well beyond 2022,” said Ghanim Al Kuwari, Competition Venues Director at the Supreme Committee.
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Qatari air quality tech chosen for 2022 World Cup venues
The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy – the organisation in charge of building and kitting out venues for the 2022 FIFA World Cup – has has signed a contract with Qatar Mobility Innovations Center (QMIC) to adopt its Hawa’ak air quality monitoring system.
QMIC has fully developed Hawa’ak to monitor air quality, weather, climate and other environmental conditions in real time. Using an “Internet of Things” platform, it allows users to access this information via multiple channels including mobile delivery, and web portals.
Hawa’ak takes advantage of a new generation of mobile sensor stations that can be distributed across a wide area to deliver localised and personalised air quality information.
“We believe that carefully monitoring environment and air quality conditions is a critical part of building and maintaining proposed host venues for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar,” said Yasir Al Jamal, acting assistant secretary general for delivery affairs at the Supreme Committee.
“We are very pleased to have selected the Hawa’ak system from QMIC to furnish our stadiums with weather & air quality monitoring stations.”
The Supreme Committee is keen to use the World Cup as an opportunity to develop a range of industries within the host nation. In addition to delivering sports infrastructure, the Supreme Committee aims to boost the development of Qatar’s private sector and streamline regulations.
“We believe that utilizing innovative technologies and systems that are developed in Qatar will help in creating sustainable new industries, which support our strategy of creating a legacy in the country,” said Al Jamal.
The collected, processed and refined weather and air quality information will be accessible to the Supreme Committee and its subsidiaries through a range of channels such as web portals, mobile applications, hard copy reports, and alerts among others.
The Supreme Committee says this information will contribute to building a rich bank of data that will drive the creation of new services and applications optimised for enterprises, government agencies and consumers.
“We would like to thank the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy for putting their trust in us,” said Dr. Adnan Abu-Dayya, executive director of QMIC. “All along, QMIC has focused on developing and deploying intelligent systems and services to support the needs of important market segments in Qatar including environment, transportation, and road safety. Our strategic partnership with SC will help us scale up our plans and achieve our goals faster in the field of environment.”
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Italian stars back Qatar to succeed in 2022
Qatar has the economy and the infrastructural capability to host the FIFA World Cup, but needs to address the issue of the weather and impose its individuality to create an outstanding event in 2022, according to three of the biggest names in Italian football.
“The first feeling that Qatar gives is that this is a set of people who have everything. They have great potential to host an event of such high calibre,” Gianluigi Buffon, captain of Juventus said at a press conference before the Supercoppa match between Napoli and Juventus in Doha on Saturday.
“Considering the economic potential and facilities here, the World Cup will be a positive event for this country. They have all the ingredients to make it a successful event.”
Christian Maggio, the Napoli right back added “Since the first day of our arrival in Qatar we have been amazed by the infrastructure. It is beautiful. It is an indicator that this city wants to provide something extraordinary.
“Qatar will be ready for the World Cup. There is care taken about even the smallest of details. And definitely Qatar will be ready to host an international event of such a huge stature.”
This is not the first time a major international footballer has backed Qatar to host a world class event in 2022. In May 2014, Yaya Toure of Ivory Coast was impressed by a presentation by the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy.
Napoli coach Rafael Benitez, who has reportedly been offered a role coaching Qatar’s national team, said “Working with football people here in Qatar is a great pleasure. They have the best of facilities. And utilizing these facilities is something that Napoli and other teams should think about.”
Buffon, who was for many years regarded as the best goalkeeper in the world, also spoke positively about the developing football culture in Qatar. “We were warmly received here. Many people, including myself, didn’t know that Juventus will have such a huge following in Qatar.”
Speaking at a time when Qatar’s right to host the World Cup is being called into question, he hinted that a non-judgemental attitude helps to build understanding. “If you don’t go about your life in a particular way then you don’t get the love of the people.”
Nonetheless, the host nation still needs to work on its footballing identity and communicate its vision to the world.
“In the years ahead of the event, Qatar should find ways to make the event more romantic,” said Buffon. “And I hope that it can be done and that will make the Qatar edition stand out from the rest of the world.”
The biggest issue Qatar faces in hosting the World Cup is the hardest to control. “Of course I think that we need to play in the right weather so that the players can have the best conditions to display their skills. And also for the fans. They tend to move from one place to another. So we expect there will be the question of weather.”