Plans to ferry fans from Doha Metro stations to stadiums by bus: al-Khater

Nasser al-Khater

There are plans to deploy buses to take fans from Doha Metro stations to all the stadiums hosting FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 matches, a top official has said. Nasser al-Khater, CEO of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 LLC, made the observation while speaking at a special online programme hosted by Qatar News Agency (QNA) Wednesday on the preparations for the upcoming mega sporting event. “We welcome the people of the Gulf region to their land, Qatar, for the success of the first World Cup in the Arab world and the Middle East,” he said, noting that plans are in the works to transport fans from Saudi Arabia by buses from the border area to the World Cup stadiums and various facilities in the State and these initiatives will be announced soon. The mechanism for entry of Saudi citizens into Qatar during the World Cup will be announced soon, and several proposals to implement this mechanism are currently being discussed, al-Khater added. Regarding ticket sales, the official said: “We finished selling tickets for the second stage on August 16, and a good number of tickets will be available at the end of September, especially for the Saudi public who are looking forward to attending the World Cup.” The Argentina vs Mexico group match has seen the highest demand, followed by Saudi Arabia vs Argentina, he noted. “We at the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy were sure of the high demand for the FIFA World Cup tickets due to Qatar’s geographical location close to Asian countries such as China and India, as well as European countries,” he said. From the GCC region, he pointed out, a spectator can use same-day flights or stay in Qatar during the event and the important thing is to obtain match tickets and the Hayya Card. The official said the organisers have provided housing for all fans of Qatar 2022 at prices that suit all categories, and there is a periodic update of the rates. “The prices of housing units available on the Hayya platform start from $80 per night, and many new housing units will be added to the platform continuously.” Al-Khater stressed that Qatar’s victory 12 years ago, achieved through winning the right to host the World Cup, was a catalyst for the development of the country’s infrastructure, especially various sports facilities. “We have reached a high level of readiness for the start of the World Cup,” he said. Meanwhile, he said the revenues from the World Cup in Qatar may go up to $6bn, according to FIFA estimates. On the Lusail Super Cup match on September 9 between Saudi and Egyptian clubs, al-Khater said the match at Lusail Stadium will serve as a mini-rehearsal for the World Cup, during which some special measures will be applied, most notably the Hayya Card. He added that 8,000 tickets were sold in the first hour for the Lusail Super Cup match.