Qatar launches accommodation and Hayya Card websites for FIFA World Cup

Hayya Card programme

The Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC) announced Wednesday the launch of Hayya Card program and the accommodation booking website for fans attending this years FIFA World Cup, which will take place from 21 November to 18 December.

After purchasing FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 tickets, fans should apply for a Hayya Card, which will be mandatory to attend matches. The Hayya Card will provide a number of benefits, including free public transport for ticket holders on match days. It will also act as an entry permit to Qatar for international visitors.

Match ticket holders are able to apply for a Hayya Card via Qatar2022.qa and the Hayya to Qatar 2022 mobile application on iOS and Android.

Fans from outside Qatar can now book accommodation via the dedicated "Host Country Accommodation Portal" which will offer various options throughout the year such as apartments, villas and cruise ship cabins. Fans can also book accommodation through traditional means, such as hotel and holiday accommodation websites.

Fans should note that COVID-19 requirements will be dependent on the latest guidelines from Qatars Ministry of Public Health and will be announced in due course.

Qatar is preparing to host the most compact version of the FIFA World Cup in modern history. All the stadiums are within close proximity of central Doha helping to cut travel costs for fans while significantly reducing the events carbon footprint. 

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday evening to announced the launch of the Hayya Card and the accommodation booking website, Executive Director of SC Housing Department Omar Abdulrahman Al Jaber revealed the details of the Host Country Accommodation Portal, noting that it is main portal for booking accommodations and has been planned for since a long time in order to offer a variety of options in one platform, providing fans with exclusive accommodation solutions and options to be announced in the coming period.

He underlined that the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy seeks to achieve urban sustainability through this platform after the end of the tournament.

Al Jaber explained that the portal provides the World Cup fans with high level accommodation options, such as local and international hotels with a rating of 3, 4 and 5 stars, in addition to apartments and villas that have been equipped as residential units and provide housing services with a 5-star hotel quality. These units are located in more than one area in the country at varying prices.

The options also include 28,000 housing rooms provided by Barwa Real Estate Company, in addition to giant hotel ships at Hamad International Port. The two ship offers 4,000 cabins that can accommodate more than 8,000 fans. There are also the residential villages in four locations, one of which is in the Lusail area, that provide 2500 housing units.

For his part, representative of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Security and Safety Operations Committee Mohammed Al Kuwari said that the committee is working with its local, regional and international partners in the organizational, security and military sectors to ensure a safe experience for fans during the World Cup.

He underlined that the committee will spare no effort to enhance the security and safety of the public and all those in the country with the highest security standards.

He indicated that Hayya Card is mandatory for all fans to enter the country and the tournament stadiums during the World Cup period, adding that the Card provides its owner with a multi-entry permission and a number of features to facilitate security measures during the tournament, aiming to ensure the safety and security of the fans.

Executive Director of Hayya Platform at the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy Saeed Al Kuwari said the platform is part of the host country's efforts that aim to improve the fans' experience during the World Cup.

He explained that Hayya Card is the gateway for all fans from inside and outside the country to enter the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 stadiums, and it contains many benefits, the most important of which is the provision of free transportation in public transport (Doha Metro), in addition to other benefits that will be added to it in the future.

Al Kuwari said that the application mechanism for obtaining the Hayya Card is very smooth and easy, noting that the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 is the umbrella that contains all the necessary procedures that the public should follow to attend the World Cup, such as purchasing tickets and booking accommodations, and then applying for the Hayya Card through the platform.

He added that there are two part for applying for the card. The first part relates to the masses from outside the country who have international documents. These people have to follow the correct procedures, which are buying tickets and verifying them, reserving the place of accommodation and verifying it, then applying for the card. The second part relates to the masses inside the country who are holders of ID cards. They have to take two steps, the first is to buy the ticket and then apply for the Hayya Card. After approval, the digital copy should be downloaded through smart programs and the Hayya program. He reaffirmed that the ticket is mandatory before obtaining the Card.

Concerning the fans of neighboring countries who wish to come and return on the same day, Al Kuwari said that they have the option of staying for one day, and this option will be available through the platform. As for the service centers to print the Hayya Card, they will be launched and announced soon.

Al Kuwari pointed to many benefits that characterize the Hayya Card in comparison to the cards of previous sporting events, as it was developed with several options, especially regarding the registration process, and everyone will notice the difference in the method of registration, as it became easy and simple.

He added that the current advantages allow the fans to gain access to tourist places, transportation and entry to stadiums, and include many other advantages.

(QNA)