Saudi Arabia fan treks 1,600km across the Arabian Desert to attend Qatar 2022

Shortly after Saudi Arabia booked their spot at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, avid football fan and extreme hiker Abdullah al-Salmi devised a plan to combine his two passions, planning his most ambitious trek yet – a 1,600km walk across the Arabian desert from his hometown of Jeddah to Doha.I have always wanted to attend a World Cup, and with the tournament coming to the Arab world for the first time, I wanted to mark the occasion by walking across the Arabian Peninsula in a show of brotherhood and unity between two neighbouring countries,” said al-Salmi, who first developed an interest in hiking while studying in Canada.Setting off from Jeddah on September 9, al-Salmi walked across Saudi Arabia’s entire landmass to reach Doha 55 days later.“I wanted to walk from the Red Sea, from the Jeddah Corniche, to the Doha Corniche on the Arabian Gulf,” said al-Salmi, a passionate Green Falcons fan. “Hiking gives me a sense of freedom and I wanted to share this passion and love with the millions of fans that are eagerly awaiting the first World Cup in the region,” he added. “I hope that our national team hears of my walk, and that inspires them to do their best in the tournament.”“I want to show everyone that nothing is impossible, and that with hard work and determination, you can do anything,” al-Salmi said.Saudi Arabia convincingly qualified for Qatar 2022, going unbeaten in eight out of their nine qualification matches.The Saudis have been drawn in Group C, alongside Argentina, Mexico and Poland.They will kick off their campaign at Lusail Stadium on November 22 against two-time champions Argentina.Upon arriving at the Doha Corniche, al-Salmi was greeted by throngs of supporters from across Qatar.Fans congratulated him on his feat, while posing for photographs with him under the Saudi flag.“The amazing reception I’ve received has been tremendous. As soon as I crossed the Qatari border, people met me with flowers and food,” he recounted. “This World Cup has also been about bringing people together, and I hope my journey inspires others to walk towards each other – to cross boundaries, to get to know each other, and break the stereotypes that so many of us in this region have to contend with.”