Fatima Sultan Al Kuwari, CEO of Qatar’s bid to host the 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games, has expressed strong confidence in Doha’s bid journey and the country’s ability to deliver an exceptional edition of the Games. Speaking during a dialogue session held Tuesday with representatives of the Qatari media covering the 20th Asian Games – Aichi-Nagoya 2026 at Bayt Qatar in Japan, Al Kuwari said Doha had embarked on its bid journey with confidence and national ambitions that reflect Qatar’s established position on the global sporting map. She said the bid is underpinned by Qatar’s proven track record in hosting major events, advanced infrastructure, world-class sporting venues and national expertise accumulated over many years of staging major international championships. Al Kuwari stressed that Doha’s bid to host the world’s biggest sporting event is not simply an attempt to add another major competition to Qatar’s hosting portfolio. Rather, it reflects an integrated vision to deliver a distinctive Olympic and Paralympic experience that creates a sustainable legacy for Qatar, the region and the international Olympic Movement. She noted that Qatar has established a prominent position in global sport over recent decades by hosting a wide range of continental and international championships across different sports, consistently delivering events to high organisational standards. Al Kuwari added that the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 represented a historic milestone, demonstrating the country’s ability to stage one of the world’s largest and most complex sporting events while welcoming millions of fans, athletes, media representatives and official delegations and providing them with an integrated experience both inside and outside the stadiums. Major National AmbitionAl Kuwari said Qatar’s ambition to host the 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games reflects the country’s belief in the importance of sport and its role in building communities and bringing people together. She stressed that Doha views the Games as much more than a sporting competition, recognising their wider human, cultural, social and economic dimensions. She said the Olympic Games represent the highest level of global sporting competition and bring together thousands of athletes from different countries and cultures. Hosting the Games would therefore provide a historic opportunity to present Qatar and the Arab region to the world and introduce international audiences to the values, culture and identity of the region. Al Kuwari noted that Qatar is approaching the bid process with complete seriousness and recognises that the journey ahead is a long one requiring extensive work, planning andcoordination. At the same time, she expressed confidence in the country’s national capabilities, accumulated expertise and ability to put forward a strong bid. “We believe in Qatar’s ability to deliver an exceptional experience. Our goal is to represent our country with pride and present a bid that reflects the position Qatari sport has reached and the significant development the country has achieved across different fields,” she said. Qatar 2022 LegacyAl Kuwari described the success of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 as one of the important foundations on which the 2036 bid is being built, with the tournament demonstrating Qatar’s ability to manage major events and deliver the highest organisational, security, operational and service standards. She said the World Cup was not only a sporting success but also delivered an integrated fan and cultural experience, leaving a positive impression on millions of visitors who had the opportunity to discover Qatar, its culture, values and hospitality first-hand. The impact of the tournament remains evident today, she added, from the country’s venues and infrastructure to the human, administrative and organisational expertise developed through hosting the event, as well as the positive international perception of Qatar’s ability to stage the world’s biggest events. Al Kuwari said the experience adds significant strength to Doha’s bid, while emphasising that Qatar continues to develop its sporting ecosystem and use every event it hosts as an opportunity to gain further expertise and enhance its readiness for the future. Adding Value to the Olympic MovementThe CEO of Qatar’s bid for the 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games said Doha’s ambition extends beyond securing hosting rights, with Qatar seeking to make a meaningful contribution to the international Olympic Movement. She said staging the Games in Qatar would provide an opportunity to extend the Olympic presence into a new region, noting that the Middle East has never hosted the Olympic Games despite its rich history, diverse cultures and strong passion for sport. Al Kuwari said hosting the Games in Doha would represent a milestone for both Qatar and the wider region, giving millions of people across the Middle East an opportunity to experience the Olympic Games first-hand, helping broaden participation in different sports and encouraging new generations to become involved. She added that the region has much to offer the Olympic Movement through its culture, history and geographical position, as well as its ability to bring people together. Qatar, she said, can serve as a bridge between East and West and as a platform for promoting the values of friendship, respect and understanding that underpin the Olympic Movement. Existing World-Class Sporting VenuesAl Kuwari highlighted Qatar’s existing sporting infrastructure as one of the bid’s major strengths, with the country already home to numerous stadiums, arenas and sporting complexes that meet international standards and have staged major continental and global competitions. She explained that the availability of existing venues significantly reduces the need to construct new permanent facilities, in line with the International Olympic Committee’s focus on sustainability and maximising the use of existing infrastructure rather than developing large venues without a clear long-term purpose after the Games. Qatar also has extensive experience in operating and managing sporting venues, she said, supported by modern infrastructure encompassing roads, public transport, hotels, medical facilities, services and technology. These elements provide Doha’s bid with a strong foundation and would help deliver a comfortable and safe experience for athletes, spectators, delegations and media, while allowing easy access to competition and training venues. Compact Geography a Key AdvantageAl Kuwari said Qatar’s compact geography represents an important advantage, allowing athletes and spectators to travel between venues and competition sites in relatively short periods without lengthy journeys between distant cities. She explained that shorter travel times directly benefit athletes, reducing the time spent travelling between accommodation, competition venues and training facilities and allowing more time for rest, recovery and physical and technical preparation. Spectators would also benefit from the compact concept, with the potential to attend more than one event on the same day and move easily between venues and event areas, contributing to an integrated and distinctive Olympic experience. She pointed to the successful model delivered during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, when supporters were able to attend more than one match in a single day, something that had not been as easily achievable at many previous editions of the tournament. Sustainability at the Heart of the BidAl Kuwari stressed that sustainability is a central pillar of Qatar’s vision for hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games, with planning extending beyond the competition period to consider how venues and projects would be used after the Games. She said Qatar has a strong record of repurposing facilities developed for sporting events to serve the wider community, pointing to the legacy of the Doha 2006 Asian Games, after which a number of venues and facilities were put to new uses. She noted that the Athletes’ Village used during the Doha Asian Games was subsequently transformed into a facility serving the healthcare sector and the wider community, providing a clear example of Qatar’s approach to legacy planning and the long-term use of sporting investment. Al Kuwari said the bid’s vision is based on ensuring that projects remain useful after the Games and contribute to Qatar’s wider development, sporting and social objectives, in line with sustainability principles and the direction of the International Olympic Committee. A Legacy for Future GenerationsAl Kuwari said the true legacy of the Games extends beyond venues and infrastructure to their positive impact on people and society, noting that hosting the event would help strengthen a culture of sport and encourage children and young people to participate in a wider range of activities. Watching the world’s leading athletes compete in Doha would inspire future generations, she said, encouraging children, girls and young people to discover sports they may not previously have had the opportunity to experience. She added that the Games would help broaden participation, raise awareness of the importance of physical activity and strengthen the role of sport in building a healthy society, while also helping identify new talent capable of representing Qatar in future competitions. Al Kuwari stressed that the bid places significant emphasis on the participation of women and young people, both in sport and in organisational, administrative and leadership roles, noting the role sport can play in developing skills, building confidence and preparing individuals to take on positions of responsibility. Fatima Sultan Al Kuwari, CEO of Qatar’s bid to host the 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games, has expressed strong confidence in Doha’s bid journey and the country’s ability to deliver an exceptional edition of the Games. Strong National ExpertiseAl Kuwari described Qatar’s national expertise as another of Doha’s major strengths, noting that the country’s extensive experience in hosting major championships has helped develop a large pool of specialised Qatari professionals across different areas of sports event organisation. She said Qatar now possesses advanced expertise in management, operations, media, marketing, transport, security, medical services, technology and volunteering, alongside the technical expertise found across national federations, clubs and sporting institutions. Such expertise is not built through a single tournament, she explained, but through many years of work and involvement in different events. Qatar has achieved this through a sustained programme of hosting continental and international competitions. She added that the country is committed to empowering Qatari professionals, both men and women, and providing them with opportunities to take on positions of responsibility, helping ensure that knowledge and experience continue to be transferred to future generations. A Long Bid JourneyAl Kuwari also addressed the different stages of the bid process, explaining that the International Olympic Committee now follows a mechanism that differs from the traditional bidding system and is based on continuing dialogue and cooperation with interested hosts. She said Doha is currently in the Continuous Dialogue stage, which provides an opportunity to present its vision and ambitions and discuss different aspects of hosting with the IOC, while examining capabilities, requirements and relevant criteria. She added that this stage provides an opportunity to further develop the vision and gain a deeper understanding of IOC requirements before progressing to more advanced stages involving a smaller number of potential hosts that demonstrate their readiness and ability to deliver a suitable project. Al Kuwari said subsequent stages would involve further details and discussions around hosting requirements and criteria before moving towards Targeted Dialogue, during which selected potential hosts would have the opportunity to present their projects in greater depth. She stressed that the journey requires time, effort and teamwork, and that the bid team is approaching it with the utmost seriousness, carefully examining every aspect and drawing on previous experience to develop a comprehensive vision. Turning Challenges into OpportunitiesAl Kuwari acknowledged that any city aspiring to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games will face challenges, but said Qatar views such challenges as opportunities to develop further and demonstrate its capabilities. She said the experience Qatar has accumulated through hosting major events gives the country the ability to address a wide range of requirements, with the bid team examining all technical, organisational, logistical, environmental and economic aspects. She added that the strength of the bid does not rest on any single element, but on an integrated system encompassing sporting venues, infrastructure, transport, sustainability, human expertise, community support and the ability to deliver an outstanding experience for athletes and spectators. Media a Partner in the JourneyAl Kuwari highlighted the important role of the media in supporting the bid journey, describing it as a key partner in helping the community understand the bid’s objectives, value and different stages. She said the current phase requires greater communication and engagement with the local community, alongside explaining the sporting, social, economic and cultural benefits that hosting the Games could bring. The media also have an important role in presenting Qatar’s capabilities to international audiences and highlighting the country’s success stories, expertise, infrastructure and legacy from previous major events, she added. Al Kuwari stressed the importance of involving different institutions and segments of society in the bid journey, noting that hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games would be a national project requiring collective effort rather than one confined to the sporting community. A New Qatari CommitmentConcluding her remarks, Al Kuwari said Qatar has built a reputation for fulfilling its commitments and successfully delivering the major championships it hosts, adding that the country is approaching its 2036 Olympic and Paralympic bid journey with strong belief in its ability to succeed. She said the ambition is to deliver Games worthy of the history of the Olympic Movement while opening new horizons for it in the Middle East, providing an outstanding experience for athletes and spectators and creating a sustainable legacy for future generations. “We have the confidence, ambition and capabilities, and we will work with complete commitment throughout the coming stages to present a strong bid that reflects the true image of Qatar. We want to deliver exceptional Games whose impact extends far beyond the days of competition, leaving lasting benefits for Qatar, the region and the world for many years to come,” she said. Qatari Women in LeadershipAl Kuwari also spoke about the confidence placed in Qatari women and their growing role in sport, saying her appointment to lead Qatar’s bid for the 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games reflects the opportunities the country provides for young national talent, both women and men, to assume responsibility and help lead major projects. She said the support extended to women in Qatar has strengthened their presence across different fields, including sport, both in competition and in administration and decision-making. Seeing women take on positions of responsibility, she added, can encourage more girls and women to believe in their abilities and pursue their ambitions. Al Kuwari said this presence extends beyond administrative and leadership positions to the direct support given to Qatari female athletes. In this context, she highlighted the attendance of Her Excellency Sheikha Hind bint Hamad al-Thani, Member of the Board of Directors of the Qatar Olympic Committee, at Team Qatar’s women’s table tennis competition during the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games. “H.E. Sheikha Hind’s presence in support of our female athletes sent an important message about the attention given to women’s sport and the commitment to supporting Qatari athletes. Such gestures provide our athletes with tremendous encouragement while also giving girls in Qatar inspiring examples that show the opportunities available to them to participate, excel and take on roles both in competition and in sports administration and leadership,” Al Kuwari said.
