Supreme Committee for Delivery &Legacy secretary-general Hassan
al-Thawadi has reiterated Qatar’s commitment to hold the 2022 FIFA World
Cup, notwithstanding the rumours and false propaganda engineered by
some Gulf countries and their associates working from other places.
He was speaking at a seminar on “Qatar’s dignity and victory after nine
months of siege” hosted by Gulf Times’ sister Arabic daily Arrayah on
Sunday evening at the Ritz-Carlton Doha.
Insisting that Qatar would host the World Cup impeccably four years from
now, the SC official recalled that the FIFA has repeatedly dispelled
all fears and their top officials have been on record many a time that
the tournament would be held in Qatar.
The world football body’s officials have said over and again that politics has nothing to do with the conduct of the World Cup.
Like some of the other panellists, the SC also official said one of the
main reasons for some Gulf States imposing economic blockade on Qatar
was to thwart Qatar from hosting the World Cup.
Al-Thawadi said Qatar’s preparations for hosting the tournament are
going on in full swing and works of most of the venues are in an
advanced stage.
The official said though the country faced some issues with the vendors
of construction materials at one stage, the administrators here have
found effective alternatives and the country is now quality getting
materials at competitive prices and all imports are arriving on time at
Hamad Port and goods are effectively delivered to the contractors.
Al-Thawadi said prior to the blockade, goods were mainly coming from the
Gulf countries but now new suppliers have been found and new channels
for bringing goods have been found.
“Adequate number of materials are now arriving and construction of
stadium and other related projects are in full swing,” he said.
The SC official said Al Wakrah and Al Bayt stadiums, which are venues
for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, will be completed next year and the Qatar
Metro would be operational two years before the World Cup.
“A large number of new world class roads are in various stages of
construction and each of these works has shown to the world that our
preparations for the World Cup are in full swing. Our country is
economically competent and it is now demonstrating its capability to
deliver a flawless World Cup,” said al-Thawadi.
The opening of the Khalifa Stadium, which is one of the venues for the
2022 FIFA World Cup by His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad
al-Thani, stands testimony to Qatar’s commitment to hold the tournament
in a big way, he said while extending a grand welcome to football fans
from across the world to come to the country.
Cautioning people against misleading stories by vested interests, the SC
secretary-general said such false propaganda would have no effect on
the hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
He also said SC’s teams would be there in full strength at the 2018 FIFA
World Cup in Russia three months from now to learn from that
experiences.
Al-Thawadi speaking at the seminar.
