Qatar is observing its National Day, but Sunday’s celebration will be completely different as it coincides with the finals of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, making it more glamorous and radiant in the presence of football VIPs and international dignitaries in Doha.
This month is very unique because it coincided with major events and achievements that Qatar has accomplished over the last decade, where the dream began in December 2010 when Qatar announced its ability to produce 77mn tonnes of liquefied natural gas (LNG), which made Qatar the largest LNG exporter in the world.
In the same month, then FIFA president Joseph Blatter announced that Qatar had won the honour of organising the 2022 World Cup in a scene that has not and will not be erased from the minds of the fans in the Arab region and the whole world as it is the first time that a Middle Eastern country won the honour to host.
Since then, Qatar has not ceased to work hard under the auspices of the wise government and by the directions of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani as the country transformed into a real business workshop.
In this context, HE Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim al-Thani, chairman of the Qatari Businessmen Association (QBA) emphasised that Qatar National Day 2022 will remain unforgettable because of the major achievements during the reign of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani.
After Qatar won the bid to host the World Cup, the government, in partnership with the private sector, has been working hard to finalise infrastructure and other projects. Sheikh Faisal said the World Cup is a unique opportunity to achieve the goals of the Qatar National Vision 2030 (QNV 2030).
He said: “More than $220bn was spent on infrastructures, such as roads, bridges, ports, airports, subways, housing, tourism, and free zones. This infrastructure will turn into gains later after the tournament.
“The World Cup will be a strong point for attracting foreign investment, which is what we are currently working on through our external presence and efforts to promote Qatar and it will reflect positively on the country’s future as an investment and tourism destination capable of rising to the challenges of competition.”
Hussain Alfardan, QBA first deputy chairman, said what Qatar has achieved during the last 10 years represents a miracle through the vision of His Highness the Amir, who continues the path of glory and pride of His Highness the Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani.
“We consider the National Day 2022 to be an exceptional day of achievements that every citizen and resident of the State of Qatar is proud of and this is what the crowds and all the international media are talking about.
“Our country is great with its actions and achievements and was able to write a glorious history for our Arab nation through this historic World Cup, which the country should exploit in marketing Qatar as a tourism and investment destination.”
Alfardan stressed that the infrastructure established by Qatar while preparing for the World Cup will have a major role in achieving the sustainable development goals included in the QNV 2030.
He said this will have a direct and indirect reflection on trade, transport, and services, in addition to promoting Qatar as a global sports capital and related specialisations, such as training and rehabilitation centres for sports teams before the start of the sporting seasons and during rest periods, in addition to medical tourism, among others.
Sheikh Dr Khalid bin Thani al-Thani, QBA second deputy chairman, said it is a matter of pride for every Qatari to celebrate National Day amid month-long celebrations of the World Cup in the presence of the global community in Doha, including the business sector, international stars, heads of state, kings, and princes.
National Day 2022 is different because it culminates the preparation and hard work that lasted for several years, he said. Sheikh Khalid noted that since 2011, the state’s successive budgets began to put large expenditures in all sectors.
“The state has launched projects in various fields during the past 10 years and today, we are proud of the crowds amidst the fascination of everyone who visited Qatar and the infrastructure that was built, which is not limited only to the World Cup but beyond. In light of huge projects in the field of LNG production, this would provide financial resources that can be used to diversify the economic fabric of the country,” he said.
Sheikh Khalid added that the World Cup will be Qatar’s gateway to broader growth prospects in various economic and social fields and will contribute to further promoting Qatar’s image globally.

Mega achievements
Lusail City is one of the largest mega projects in Qatar built in 10 years. The city is 38sq km in size and includes four exceptional islands, 19 multi-purpose residential areas, mixed-use areas, and entertainment and commercial areas.
The city’s population is expected to reach 230,000 people with 450,000 daily visitors. The city is expected to house 35 hotels with a capacity of 5,000 hotel rooms. The Katara Hospitality Hotel will be the largest in Qatar with a capacity of 900 rooms.
Lusail will be host to 37 schools and kindergartens, including private and independent schools and kindergartens. The marina can accommodate 100 boats or ships and includes entertainment venues, which is the largest in the Gulf region.

Qatar Metro: 5-star services
Qatar Railways Company (Qatar Rail) was established in 2011 by an Amiri decree stating that the company is responsible for designing and developing a unique network that provides successful solutions to transportation challenges in Qatar with the power and efficiency of the Doha Metro. Four years since the launch of the first Doha Metro trips, it has displayed unparalleled efficiency in terms of operation, speed, capacity, service facilities, and logistical services, complementing the transportation process to connect all cities and vital places to metro stations.
Preparations for the Doha Metro and Lusail tram began since the opening of the first phase of 13 stations in 2019 out of a total of 37 stations. Qatar Rail has set its plans to test and review all operational processes and to deal optimally with population density variables and the steady increase in the number of passengers during major events.
The company provided 110 trains and the time between each train was reduced from five minutes to two minutes on all lines, which allowed an increase and doubling of the capacity in the three metro lines. The metrolink services operate in 43 tracks to serve 23 metro stations.

Modern road network
Qatar has completed an advanced transportation network to facilitate movement and provide safe and easy transport services for all fans and all participating groups in the tournament and its accompanying events.
According to Public Works Authority (Ashghal), Qatar built 207 bridges, some 100 intersections, and 143 tunnels, the most prominent of which are Al Majd, Al Khor, Lusail, G-Ring Road, and Sabah Al Ahmad Corridor. Ashghal also implemented 1,180 signboards to facilitate access to stadiums and many facilities related to the World Cup tournament.
More than 6mn sq m of parking spaces were implemented to serve tournament buses and other vehicles to facilitate movement before, during, and after the tournament.
Ashghal constructed 2,131km of pedestrian and cycle paths that are connected to all World Cup stadiums, in addition to constructing 16 bridges and five pedestrian tunnels.

Tourism: 100 new hotels
During the past years, Qatar was able to construct more than 100 new hotels within a chain of luxury hotels, bringing the total number of rooms in the country to more than 35,000.
Three cruise ships were equipped with a capacity of some 4,000 rooms. The state and the private sector also provided more than 130,000 apartments for the World Cup, while one of the largest hotel companies in Europe provided 10,000 employees to manage and operate 60,000 apartments and villas during the championship competitions.

Technology: digital cities and free Internet
Qatar has completed pioneering infrastructure projects in the field of communications and digital transformation over the past years so the tournament will be the first World Cup to rely entirely on 5G technologies with free Internet provided in all Qatari stadiums.

Environment-friendly stadiums
Qatar’s World Cup stadiums are considered par excellence, blending Arab culture and Qatari originality, thus making them attractive to all. The state provided the world of football with eight impressive stadiums with modern and environmentally-friendly technology, as well as a sustainable legacy.
The construction and development of the World Cup stadiums were accompanied by a revolution in the field of Qatar’s infrastructure modernisation, sea and land ports, “the world’s best airport,” electricity and communications, health and educational facilities, tourism and entertainment facilities, and many other things that impress visitors and residents of Qatar.