After Qatar was given the privilege to host the FIFA World Cup in 2022, it became abundantly evident that the country did not even come close to possessing the required infrastructure at that time. A country that had a population of around 1.6 million in 2010 would need to spend the following 12 years building an infrastructure that is capable of supporting more than 2.5 million people. In 2010, this looked like something that would be rather tough to do, but by 2022, Qatar seemed to have done an excellent job of overcoming this challenge. According to reports, Qatar has spent more than 300 billion US dollars on the construction of infrastructure in preparation for the FIFA World Cup.
The planning of the infrastructure for the FIFA World Cup in 2022
In 2010, Qatar was already aware that it would need to spend hundreds of billions of dollars on the construction of infrastructure in order to host activities for the FIFA world cup. Due to the fact that Qatar continued to show its financial competence in 2010, there was never any doubt about its capacity to fulfill its commitments. In order to plan its infrastructure, Qatar employed some of the greatest construction companies in the world. In order to prepare effectively, Qatar has to bear the following problems in mind:
- Scarcity of available labor
- Doha was going to be the only location where any of the infrastructure was going to be developed.
- Building an adequate number of stadiums from the ground up
- Organizing a plan for the transportation system
- Putting in place the necessary hotel infrastructure.
- Medical infrastructure
- Shortage of available workforce
Scarcity of available labor
In 2010, the population of Qatar was estimated to be 1.6 million, and the country was on the verge of beginning construction on an infrastructure that could support more than 2.5 million people. In order for Qatar to be successful in completing this mind-boggling mission, they need a significant number of workers. The demand could not be met within its own confines because of the impossibility of doing so. Without the assistance of migrant laborers from countries such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Kenya, amongst others, Qatar may not have been able to construct any of its necessary infrastructure.
There was a significant amount of debate on the treatment of these migrant workers in Qatar, but we will go into that subject at a later time. The very first and most important thing that Qatar did was to design a strategy to acquire large numbers of skilled labor migrants from emerging nations in south Asia. According to the statistics, Qatar has welcomed two million overseas skilled employees since 2010. These individuals have been employed in various industries.
In the process of getting ready for the FIFA World Cup, the government in Qatar was well aware that this particular obstacle had the potential to be the most difficult one to overcome. However, if we discount the approximately 4,000 people who have passed away during those 12 years, Qatar has effectively surmounted the obstacle posed by a lack of available labor force.
Development only in Doha
It was an audacious choice to stage the World Cup in only one location in 2022, to say the least of it.
In this role, events are typically held in a number of various venues. However, this time it will be arranged inside the confines of a single city, Doha, which has a total area of 132 km2. Many people see it not just as a problem, but also as an opportunity.
Coordination and productivity are both improved when infrastructure is created in a constrained region, as this allows for more focused construction. However, this circumstance has the potential to become rather inconvenient for the residents of that particular region. The residents of the city will probably certainly be confronted with a variety of difficulties as a direct result of the extensive construction projects that are going place on all sides of the city at the same time.
The authorities in Qatar have segmented the regions of the city and planned the expansion of the infrastructure in accordance with these new divisions. Also, according to the local citizens, the entire city was under construction, but the outcomes have been beneficial for them.
Also read – How World Reacted When Qatar Won Bid To Host FIFA World Cup 2022.
Building sufficient number of stadiums
An event that will take place in conjunction with the 2022 FIFA World Cup that will be contained to a single venue and will include 32 teams participating in an average of three matches each day.
The authorities in Qatar were required to plan the number of stadiums in accordance with the matches. All of the stadiums were supposed to be built in accordance with the world standards along various routes throughout the city in order to facilitate the management of the city’s traffic.
It was not a simple undertaking to organize the placement of all of the stadiums in such a way that hassle-free transportation could also be arranged for them. For the FIFA World Cup, Qatar constructed eight new stadiums in the city of Doha.
The original five potential sites to host the World Cup were made public at the start of March 2010, when the month was still called March. Legacy, comfort, accessibility, and sustainability are some of the terms of reference that Qatar wants to see included into the architecture of the stadiums. Additionally, the nation desired for the stadiums to be emblematic of the cultural and historical aspects of Qatar.
As a result of the cooling systems that are going to be installed in the arenas, it is anticipated that the temperatures within the stadiums would drop by up to 20 degrees Celsius (36 degrees Fahrenheit) throughout the course of the games. The effectiveness of these cooling systems in open-air settings is something that cannot be determined at this time. Their advertising includes assumptions that characterize the stadiums as not creating any trash, and after the World Cup, the top decks of the stadiums will be removed and handed to nations that have a less established sports infrastructure.
Qatar has the goal of obtaining accreditation from the Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS) for each of the World Cup venues it builds by fulfilling all of the criteria outlined in the system’s standards. Albert Speer & Partners, a German architectural firm, has been assigned with the responsibility of developing all five of the new stadiums that have been suggested. The Al Bayt Stadium is the only one of the eight stadiums that will be used and it is the only one that is housed inside.
Making plans for the system of transportation
In 2010, Qatar possessed a food road transportation infrastructure; nonetheless, there remained a significant room for development. A nation with a population of around 1.6 million will need to construct a transportation system capable of supporting 2.5 million people. Enhancing the transportation infrastructure was also essential for the successful completion of other infrastructure projects. The construction of Qatar’s transportation infrastructure was divided up into stages by the authorities there. It is possible for Qatar to construct a metro line that can accommodate 500,000 people in a single day. In addition, there will be around 400 public buses operating throughout the month that the FIFA World Cup is taking place.
Due to the meticulous planning and scheduling that was done, these challenges were overcome, and as a result, megaprojects like the new Doha Metro, Doha Port, and the new Doha International Airport were all completed at the same time. To ensure that Qatar would be ready to play host to the FIFA World Cup in 2022, the country had to finish a total of $57.38 billion worth of transportation projects on schedule. To ensure that Qatar would be ready to play host to the FIFA World Cup in 2022, the country had to finish a total of $57.38 billion worth of transportation projects on schedule.
Even if there was money available to satisfy Qatar’s infrastructure pledge, there were issues regarding whether or not Qatar has the logistical competence to oversee such a big investment program. In other words,
Particularly high on the list of worries was the availability of both materials and labor. To its credit, Qatar is working hard to stay ahead of these difficulties.
Creating an adequate infrastructure for lodging facilities.
One of the things that you will need to consider if you are going to develop an infrastructure for the event that will take place during the FIFA world cup is whether or not you have enough hotel units for the people who will be arriving. This was another one of Qatar’s toughest challenges in 2010, and they faced it head-on. A city that only had a population of one million in the year 2010, would need to supply lodging for two million guests by the year 2022. One may easily envision how out of balance this equation is. Qatar, on the other hand, maintained a high level of self-assurance on the matter due to the fact that they had previously conceived of the idea of constructing an infrastructure that can lend support to tourist as well as business travel. Which other chance in the world could possibly be more beneficial to the realization of this objective than the FIFA world cup?
Qatar said in 2022 that it has constructed 117 000 hotel rooms just for spectators attending the FIFA World Cup. These properties include residences in Doha, as well as hotels, fan communities, and ship suites. As part of the preparations for the World Cup, Qatar constructed a number of remarkable and luxury resorts in the city of Doha. As a result, many people are calling this year’s tournament the most extravagant World Cup ever.
Medical infrastructure
However, Qatar was aware of how significant the medical infrastructure was and took steps to improve it. Not only was it vital for the spectators of the FIFA world cup, but also to create the infrastructure of FIFA, there was an influx of 2 million migrant trained people. This was important. It was also very vital to construct medical facilities in areas where they are needed to accommodate this increase in population.
The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) has announced that the emergency and urgent care services offered by Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) facilities would be provided to supporters and visitors who are in Qatar for the World Cup in 2022 at no cost for the entirety of the tournament.
The Sheikha Aisha bint Hamad Al Attiyah Hospital, the Al Wakra Hospital, the Hamad General Hospital, and the Hazm Mebaireek General Hospital will all be participating hospitals in the initiative that is being undertaken by the Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) to provide medical services to fans and visitors of Qatar 2022.
The HMC Ambulance Service will be providing emergency care to individuals who are experiencing potentially life-threatening medical conditions and will transporting patients to the emergency department of an appropriate hospital as necessary.
When we looked back at it in 2022, we realized that Qatar could have done better. Qatar has received a lot of criticism for the fact that it did not provide better medical facilities and working conditions to migrant workers, and as a result, it has received our realization that Qatar could have done better. It had been claimed that migrant employees had passed away, and one of the reasons was that there were insufficient medical facilities for them to use.
Summary
In 2010, Qatar was faced with the challenge of completing a significant undertaking. The process of developing infrastructure required analysis, planning, and then actual execution. An analysis was conducted in Qatar, and the country found out its existing status. Next, a picture of the necessary infrastructure was developed. In 2022, when we take a look back, we see that Qatar looks to have effectively completed the majority of the obligations it was given with the creation of an infrastructure for the event. Clearly, there were ongoing debates on a variety of topics, some of which will be covered in the following chapters.
