The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) has continued its preparations for a safe and secure 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar by holding a workshop with a French delegation from the Euro 2016 organising committee. This meeting was part of regular workshops held by the SC Security department with delegations from around the world to exchange knowledge and enhance cooperation.
“I think it is very important that we share experience and knowledge, not only at a global level, but also at an operational level,” Ziad Khoury, head of Safety and Security at Euro 2016 said following the meeting.
He added: “This was the objective of the workshop, and I was very impressed with the professionalism and the preparations already carried out by Qatar. There is a large anticipation for the event, which is a key element of success, and I was able to explain how we intend to organise things for Euro 2016 next year. It is a different event but there are a lot of common points and I think it is very important to learn from each other.”
Khoury added that he has been impressed by Qatar’s early planning and level of preparedness seven years before the tournament begins in 2022.
He said: “It is very important to start early, because you have to be the master of time. They are on the right track here and I am convinced that the World Cup in Qatar will be a great and safe event. I have been very impressed by the risk analysis which has been done here already, and by all the work to co-ordinate with private security. They are aware of what should be done and they have a schedule.”
The French official also added that fans visiting France next summer can look forward to a safe event at Euro 2016.
He said: “We have worked since the beginning with security as a priority, a high level of security. There is a compromise to be made between security and a festive atmosphere, but security is the first concern. With recent events, we have to think about some reinforcements, but our model of security has been designed with the capacity to put on a very secure event. Not only will fans have a safe event but also a very good experience. I am sure that everything will be done properly to have a safe and nice event. We are very coordinated with public authorities and working hand in hand to deliver a very nice event.”
For the SC’s Security team, the meeting was a further valuable opportunity to exchange experience and knowledge with leading sports events and security officials from across the world.
“This meeting was an important part of our continuing preparations to host a safe and secure FIFA World Cup in Qatar in 2022. We are not only continuing to make progress with our planning but continue to exchange expertise with leading experts and event organisers such as this visit from our colleagues at Euro 2016,” said Colonel Mohamed al-Sulaiti, Executive Director of Security for the SC.
“In the coming years we will continue to enhance international cooperation as we place a top priority on a safe and secure tournament in 2022,” he stated.
Also present on the day was the French ambassador Eric Chevallier, who said: “It is a very important day today, because we had the head of security and safety for Euro 2016, and the fact that he came to explain the plans and dynamics for the tournament is just one element of the very strong relationship we have between France and Qatar for sport in general and security in sport in particular.”
He added: “2022 is of course something which is very special, and we are working together more broadly on infrastructure and a lot of different sectors. We have even organised the French companies into a cluster called ‘French team for sport’ with 60 companies, working in sport from infrastructure to security to event organisation.” (SC.qa)
