Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy secretary general Hassan al-Thawadi with Malaysian Minister of Foreign Affairs Hanifa Aman.

QNA

 

Malaysian Minister of Foreign Affairs Hanifa Aman has said that the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar will leave a lasting legacy for the entire region.

The minister made the remarks when he met with Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy secretary general Hassan al-Thawadi. 

They discussed “innovative ways of using modern infrastructure following the Qatar’s 2022 FIFA World Cup” which will be held for the first time in the Middle East. 

The meeting was attended by Malaysian ambassador Ahmad Jazri bin Mohamed Johar.

“At the end of the day it’s a game for the people,” said Hanifa Aman. “The Supreme Committee has set the bar and I have no doubt that everyone will be trying to live up to the standards of what we will see in 2022,” he said.

“The most interesting part is the legacy it will leave for this region.”

The meeting included a presentation on progress made so far in hosting the international event. 

Al-Thawadi said that work for the World Cup was “proceeding well” and that Qatar was making the most of the opportunity presented through hosting the tournament. 

“There is a lot of work to be done, but we’re moving forward. For us, the World Cup is always going to be an opportunity, not a goal by itself,” said al-Thawadi, mentioning Qatar’s announcement of reforms to the labour legislation.

“The World Cup is a catalyst for continued progress and we’re also developing our sporting industry. Part of the nation’s vision is economic diversification,” he said.

They also  discussed the cooling technology successfully tested by Qatar during the Brazil 2014 Fan Zone in Doha for the 2014 World Cup.

“We’re committed to learning and adapting to developing technology,” said al-Thawadi, “This will be the first World Cup in the Middle East and West Asia.”

Al-Thawadi underlined the need to develop regional talent in sports education, saying: “An event like the World Cup is like no other in terms of opportunities.”

 

Related Story