The World Cup will give an additional near-term boost to the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) economies, according to Standard & Poor's (S&P), a global credit rating agency.
The rating agency said more than 1.2mn fans are expected to attend the event, increasing Qatar's population by about 1.5 times.
"This paves the way for Qatar to enjoy potential near-term economic gains but also highlights the logistical challenges of managing the event, which will likely lead to positive spillover effects for the rest of the region," it said.
Qatar's Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy is confident there will be no shortfalls in accommodation, with up to 130,000 rooms for the one-million-plus fans expected during the 28-day event.
Accommodation options in Qatar include two cruise ships with more than 4,000 cabins, and fan villages at four different locations. People can also stay in apartments, villas, holiday homes, Bedouin tents, and caravan villages.
"We expect that the neighbouring GCC countries will also host large numbers, benefiting their aviation and tourism sectors," the report said.
The GCC's official accommodation portal prioritises ticket holders. Visitors arriving in Qatar without match tickets could struggle to find a room and instead opt to stay in a neighbouring country.
Although spillover effects are expected across the region, S&P expects Dubai to be the main beneficiary outside of Qatar, given its geographical proximity and its already well-established tourism offering, major attractions, airline connections with the region and the world, and multiple-entry tourist visas for World Cup ticket holders.
"We expect occupancy to remain high in the second half of 2022 and particularly during the World Cup when we expect Dubai's hotels to be close to full capacity. This will see room prices climb further still, even if only for a few weeks," the report said.
This is despite the supply of rooms having increased recently amid new hotel openings, it said, expecting a 10% increase by end-2022 from about 140,000 rooms at end-2021.
With Dubai's higher hotel capacity, S&P expects football fans to take full advantage, supported by daily shuttle flights between Dubai and Doha, less than an hour away.
The absence of any pandemic-related restrictions, including no requirement for PCR tests (from most destinations), further simplifies travelling to and from Dubai, it said.
The rating agency said more than 1.2mn fans are expected to attend the event, increasing Qatar's population by about 1.5 times.
"This paves the way for Qatar to enjoy potential near-term economic gains but also highlights the logistical challenges of managing the event, which will likely lead to positive spillover effects for the rest of the region," it said.
Qatar's Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy is confident there will be no shortfalls in accommodation, with up to 130,000 rooms for the one-million-plus fans expected during the 28-day event.
Accommodation options in Qatar include two cruise ships with more than 4,000 cabins, and fan villages at four different locations. People can also stay in apartments, villas, holiday homes, Bedouin tents, and caravan villages.
"We expect that the neighbouring GCC countries will also host large numbers, benefiting their aviation and tourism sectors," the report said.
The GCC's official accommodation portal prioritises ticket holders. Visitors arriving in Qatar without match tickets could struggle to find a room and instead opt to stay in a neighbouring country.
Although spillover effects are expected across the region, S&P expects Dubai to be the main beneficiary outside of Qatar, given its geographical proximity and its already well-established tourism offering, major attractions, airline connections with the region and the world, and multiple-entry tourist visas for World Cup ticket holders.
"We expect occupancy to remain high in the second half of 2022 and particularly during the World Cup when we expect Dubai's hotels to be close to full capacity. This will see room prices climb further still, even if only for a few weeks," the report said.
This is despite the supply of rooms having increased recently amid new hotel openings, it said, expecting a 10% increase by end-2022 from about 140,000 rooms at end-2021.
With Dubai's higher hotel capacity, S&P expects football fans to take full advantage, supported by daily shuttle flights between Dubai and Doha, less than an hour away.
The absence of any pandemic-related restrictions, including no requirement for PCR tests (from most destinations), further simplifies travelling to and from Dubai, it said.
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