DREAMERS: Hosting the first ever FIFA World Cup in The Middle East 

FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022

By: Oreste Del Río. 
Former Ambassador of Panama to The State of Qatar

To be awarded with the rights of hosting the FIFA World Cup 2022 was one of the biggest dream for a country that loves football probably more than any other country in the middle east. This is the first time; the World Cup was celebrated in a middle eastern nation. Though it is the costliest World Cup ever, this hosting has added huge positivity throughout the tournament. 

What is special about Qatar World Cup?
It was the first time FIFA hosted world cup in an Arab country resulted in positive outlook of Arab countries towards the sports. Moreover, it is the second time in Asia Continent after the South Korea and Japan. Qatar has delivered something historic welcoming people around the whole world to come and change their view towards the arab world (James, 2021). All the fans and supporters of different countries blended together so well it seemed that there has been fascinating cultural blend within the ongoing tournament. Moreover, it was seen that the Japanese fans are cleaning the stadium after the end of a match that provided a positive example to the whole world, even other national team fans start doing the same (James, 2021).
Again, with the huge investment the middle east country has made it possible to change the infrastructure of the country and provide a better living to its people. For example, free transportations, better highways and less discomfort in moving areas (James, 2021). The crimes even seemed to drastically fallen compared with previous World Cups. The tournament has come with such blessings for Qatar as well as for the arab world. 

Where did Qatar invested 200 billion dollars?
The number 200 billion dollars is uncertain because in advance the government of Qatar has invested a huge sum on infrastructures that are non-football; for instance, on new roads, new system for metro lines, international hotels and airports and leisure utilities for the guests. This large investment is an integral part of Qatar’s “National Vision 2030” that is an extensive public investment project (James, 2021). 

How has the World Cup 2022 changed the Middle-eastern country?

Development of Infrastructure 
Qatar is working nonstop becoming a role model to achieve its calculated objectives and comprehensive agenda of development and this is reason why it invested a colossal amount on projects of some infrastructures like- Doha Metro, Hamad International Airport, Hamad Port, Lusail the new smart city as well as upgrading an arena that is existing (Regueiro, 2020). These arenas are sketched in order to be remodeled into centers of community where people can be connected and they can learn, creating on a wider tactic of national identity and building the community (Regueiro, 2020). Furthermore, it will strengthen Qatar’s connectivity of the transportation, enhance the environment for the local businesses as well as provide a better quality life to the people living in Qatar. 
Among all these, other significant goals of hosting this tournament are to understand and come closer to other cultures, celebrating the communities globally; leaving a great legacy, comprehensiveness and sustaining strongly in the Middle East region, Asia and all over the world in broader range. 

The Long-term Benefits
Qatar- the country of the dreamers-, those with a long term vision and huge passion was seeking to stimulus innovation of technologies within side the country and outside the borders. By hosting the tournament, it developed the infrastructures that boosted the technological use of the country (Al-Emadi et al, 2022).  Even, this country has also strengthened its international standing by hosting World Cup 2022 as it is predicted that Qatar Sports Investment 2011 may acquire the Germaine Football Club as well as it is becoming Barcelona Football Club’s first commercial sponsor (Anon, 2018). It will portray Qatar as a free country of International investment and opportunities that will attract the foreign investors. Now, Qatar is also seen as a suitable country for foreign trading and tourism by hosting 500 international sports in total.

Effects of Multipliers 
The World Cup tournament has been found to create approximately 1.5 million jobs in various sectors in Qatar like- hospitality, constructions and real estates. The progress can also be seen in the economy of Qatar. The contribution of the gas and oil sectors to GDP declined from 60% in the year of 2011 to 48% in 2017 (Anon, 2018). 
However, to project the multiple effects of hosting the tournament is complicated due to the quantative calculation of the infrastructure development, soft power influence and new other commercial opportunities which are associated with these developments (Zaidan & Abulibdeh, 2018). Nevertheless we have been receiving in our consulting company inquiring’s from potential clients looking to invest in Qatar, some of them just because after they came to Qatar for the tournament fell in love with the country, they saw opportunities and they felt the quality and security of a very reliable system to invest. 
Congratulations to Qatar and their people for hosting this outstanding and historical World Cup and thank you to the dreamers that making it happened! 

References
Al-Emadi, A., Sellami, A. L., & Fadlalla, A. M. (2022). The Perceived Impacts of Staging the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Journal of Sport & Tourism, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/14775085.2021.2017327
Al-Hamrani, A., Kim, D., Kucukvar, M., & Onat, N. C. (2021). Circular economy application for a Green Stadium construction towards sustainable FIFA world cup Qatar 2022TM. Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 87, 106543. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eiar.2020.106543
Alinier, G., Rizoli, S., & Al Thani, H. (2021). Qatar Health 2022: Preparing for the 2022 World Cup and the response to pandemics in Qatar – a multidisciplinary team approach. Journal of Emergency Medicine, Trauma and Acute Care, 2022(1). https://doi.org/10.5339/jemtac.2022.qhc.1
Anon. (2018). The FIFA 2022 World Cup and Labour Rights — Seizing the Moment for Labour Law Reforms in Qatar. Kutafin University Law Review, 12. https://doi.org/10.17803/2313-5395.2018.1.9.139-164
James, T. B. (2021). Soft Power and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, 3(2), 194–208. https://doi.org/10.29117/tis.2021.0075
Regueiro, R. (2020). Shared Responsibility and Human Rights Abuse: The 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Tilburg Law Review, 25(1), 27–39. https://doi.org/10.5334/tilr.191
Serdar, M. Z., & Al-Ghamdi, S. G. (2021). Resiliency Assessment of Road Networks during Mega Sport Events: The Case of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. Sustainability, 13(22), 12367. https://doi.org/10.3390/su132212367
Zaidan, E., & Abulibdeh, A. (2018). Modeling ground access mode choice behavior for Hamad International Airport in the 2022 FIFA World Cup city, Doha, Qatar. Journal of Air Transport Management, 73, 32–45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jairtraman.2018.08.007