Qatar Railways Company (Qatar Rail) is “on track” in terms of its readiness and preparations for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, according to HE the Minister of Municipality Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki al-Subaie.
Al-Subaie, who is also Qatar Rail's managing director and CEO, made the statement during the company’s second town hall and stakeholders meeting held Tuesday under the theme ‘Safe and Effective Crowd Management at Metro Stations’.
“This meeting comes less than two months away from the start of the World Cup 2022. Qatar Rail is on track with its readiness and preparations for this event as the Doha Metro is a key component in the integrated transport plan for this global event hosted by the State of Qatar,” al-Subaie said during his speech.
Since starting operations in 2019, al-Subaie said the Doha Metro’s state-of-the-art driverless system was specifically designed and built to handle large numbers of passengers and to handle major events, adding that the Doha Metro was tested during several large events held previously.
“We have incorporated the lessons learnt from these events in a systematic and controlled way to enhance performance. Also, under our preparations for the tournament, we have developed a ‘station plan’ for each station under our networks.
“Hosting any major event requires co-ordination across a broad and complex landscape of stakeholders. Crowd management is the key success for a safe and smooth travel experience and this cannot be achieved without the close co-ordination, joint efforts, and the support of our stakeholders,” he said.
Speaking to Gulf Times on the sidelines of the event, al-Subaie said: “Our focus now is mainly on crowd and event management. It is important for people to feel safe and secure, and we are ready to provide a very distinguished service to them, so we are working closely with international industry leaders and sharing best practices and experiences. We are trying to break all barriers of communication and ensuring that we have visibility for our strategic direction."
During the World Cup, al-Subaie also said there would be 110 trains operating 21 hours per day and more than 10,000 staff manning the Doha Metro. He also noted that from three cars, the Red Line is now running with six cars.
Aside from al-Subaie, the town hall was also attended by Engineer Yasir Jamal, director-general of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) and chairman of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Executive Committee; Hamad Isa Abdulla, acting assistant undersecretary of Land Transport Affairs at the Ministry of Transport (MoT); and Lieutenant-Colonel Salem al-Naimi, director of Transportation Security Department at the Ministry of Interior (MoI).
They were also joined by RKH, the operator of Doha Metro, and key shareholders, including Jean Pierre Farandou, SNCF chairman and CEO; Bernard Tabary, CEO of Keolis Group International; Jean Yves Leclercq, RATP Group CEO; and Hiba Fares, RATP Dev CEO; as well as other senior officials from the MoT, SC, MoI, and Qatar Rail management team and staff.
The meeting is one of a series of staff and management town halls and workshops held under Qatar Rail’s readiness programme for the World Cup. It was highlighted by several activities, including a panel discussion on crowd management, management of key risks, emergency preparedness, and crowd control, followed by a presentation on the Role of Operation of Metro Command and Control Centre.
RKH is responsible for operating and maintaining Doha Metro and Lusail Tram networks. The company works hand-in-hand with Qatar Rail to ensure safe and effective crowd management at the stations and ensure the delivery of a seamless and safe travel experience during the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
In July 2022, Qatar Rail organised its first town hall for staff, stakeholders, and consultants meeting under the theme ‘Transport Management for Mega Events’, which included several sessions on the readiness of Doha Metro services for major events, and the main challenges of hosting the upcoming World Cup.
Al-Subaie, who is also Qatar Rail's managing director and CEO, made the statement during the company’s second town hall and stakeholders meeting held Tuesday under the theme ‘Safe and Effective Crowd Management at Metro Stations’.
HE the Minister of Municipality Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki al-Subaie speaking during the panel discussion.
“This meeting comes less than two months away from the start of the World Cup 2022. Qatar Rail is on track with its readiness and preparations for this event as the Doha Metro is a key component in the integrated transport plan for this global event hosted by the State of Qatar,” al-Subaie said during his speech.
Since starting operations in 2019, al-Subaie said the Doha Metro’s state-of-the-art driverless system was specifically designed and built to handle large numbers of passengers and to handle major events, adding that the Doha Metro was tested during several large events held previously.
“We have incorporated the lessons learnt from these events in a systematic and controlled way to enhance performance. Also, under our preparations for the tournament, we have developed a ‘station plan’ for each station under our networks.
“Hosting any major event requires co-ordination across a broad and complex landscape of stakeholders. Crowd management is the key success for a safe and smooth travel experience and this cannot be achieved without the close co-ordination, joint efforts, and the support of our stakeholders,” he said.
Speaking to Gulf Times on the sidelines of the event, al-Subaie said: “Our focus now is mainly on crowd and event management. It is important for people to feel safe and secure, and we are ready to provide a very distinguished service to them, so we are working closely with international industry leaders and sharing best practices and experiences. We are trying to break all barriers of communication and ensuring that we have visibility for our strategic direction."
During the World Cup, al-Subaie also said there would be 110 trains operating 21 hours per day and more than 10,000 staff manning the Doha Metro. He also noted that from three cars, the Red Line is now running with six cars.
Aside from al-Subaie, the town hall was also attended by Engineer Yasir Jamal, director-general of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) and chairman of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Executive Committee; Hamad Isa Abdulla, acting assistant undersecretary of Land Transport Affairs at the Ministry of Transport (MoT); and Lieutenant-Colonel Salem al-Naimi, director of Transportation Security Department at the Ministry of Interior (MoI).
They were also joined by RKH, the operator of Doha Metro, and key shareholders, including Jean Pierre Farandou, SNCF chairman and CEO; Bernard Tabary, CEO of Keolis Group International; Jean Yves Leclercq, RATP Group CEO; and Hiba Fares, RATP Dev CEO; as well as other senior officials from the MoT, SC, MoI, and Qatar Rail management team and staff.
The meeting is one of a series of staff and management town halls and workshops held under Qatar Rail’s readiness programme for the World Cup. It was highlighted by several activities, including a panel discussion on crowd management, management of key risks, emergency preparedness, and crowd control, followed by a presentation on the Role of Operation of Metro Command and Control Centre.
RKH is responsible for operating and maintaining Doha Metro and Lusail Tram networks. The company works hand-in-hand with Qatar Rail to ensure safe and effective crowd management at the stations and ensure the delivery of a seamless and safe travel experience during the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
In July 2022, Qatar Rail organised its first town hall for staff, stakeholders, and consultants meeting under the theme ‘Transport Management for Mega Events’, which included several sessions on the readiness of Doha Metro services for major events, and the main challenges of hosting the upcoming World Cup.
