One of the unique features of Qatar's bid to win the right to host FIFA 2022 World Cup is its favourable time zone that could attract over three billion television viewers at prime time, an official of Qatar Bid Committee said. Communications Director of Qatar 2022 Bid Committee Nasser Al Khater said, "Qatar's geographical location and time zone has the potential to attract around 3.2 billion viewers from the GCC, the Middle East and North Africa region, Europe, Asia, the Far East and the Americas." Khater was alluding to football fans from different continents watching World Cup matches at a comfortable time rather than late night or wee hours of the morning.
"Qatar's geographical location is very accessible from the west as well as the east," he said, "There are a number of direct flights from destinations in Europe, MENA and Asia and fans can arrive Doha within three to four hours of flying time." Unlike some large countries that have hosted football World Cup, teams, officials, the media and fans will not have to take flights to travel from one venue to another here during the event since all stadia are in close proximity.
Qatar has plans to upgrade and build new transport infrastructure like the New Doha International Airport, due for completion shortly, and the metro rail network projects over the next few years. International travel is getting cheaper and better with many carriers starting operations from new destinations all over the globe which is a boon to football fans who hit the road often to cheer their respective teams. The country's 13-year-old national carrier, Qatar Airways, has ambitious expansion plans. By 2022 it would have added many more destinations to the 92 it currently flies. By 2013, the official partner of the Qatar 2022 bid, will be flying to 120 destinations, a spokesperson told Qatar News Agency (QNA) Wednesday.
Qatar Airways will launch six new routes in Europe and Asia next month and from November 1 it will add Vietnam capital Hanoi via Bangkok which are both home to many football fans. On November 24 the carrier will open thrice-weekly flights to the French Mediterranean city of Nice. Operating via Milan, the Nice operation will strengthen Qatar Airways services to France, where it already operates to the capital Paris.
Qatar Airways enters Eastern Europe with the launch of four flights a week to the Romanian capital of Bucharest, starting January 17 next year. The services continue on to Budapest, capital of Hungary. From January 31 it will have five flights each week to Brussels.
Besides air travel, there are plans to build an estimated US $11billion woth rapid transit rail network in the GCC. This rail system would link up prominent GCC cities as the rail network starting from Kuwait City passing through Doha, Manama, Al Dammam, Abu Dhabi and Muscat. This project will spur the economies here besides being cheaper and convenient mode of transport for football World Cup fans residing in this region.
Clearly, Qatar's 2022 bid is based on long term development plans that will spur economic growth in the region and a leave a lasting legacy on all fronts post World Cup.
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