How Qatar transformed its transport sector in record time to host the 1.2 million World Cup attendees 

Qatar has finished its logistical preparations ahead of the fast-approaching World Cup. It has equipped all eight World Cup stadiums and completed the necessary infrastructure, including streets, bridges, tunnels, cycle paths, and parks.

A rail network for metro and tram-trains has also been built in record time, as have hotels and an array of other accommodation options for fans, and the Hamad International Airport has been expanded.

All this has been done as the country gears up to host over 1.2 million people from around the world for the FIFA World Cup 2022. The first matches take place on November 20, and the tournament will last 29 days. Qatar has spent around $220 billion on infrastructure and development megaprojects in the 11 years since it won the bid to host the tournament.

Meeting the transport challenge

Transport for the massive influx of visitors – who will number around 50 percent of Qatar's resident population of 2.95 million – was a challenge the authorities successfully dealt with by securing thousands of buses to ferry football fans the moment they arrive at the airport, Doha Port or the Abu Samra land Crossing, to their accommodation, stadiums or entertainment areas. These will be available alongside metro services and taxis.

"Qatar is setting a precedent this World Cup, as it will be the first tournament in which fans will be able to attend more than one match per day during the Group Stage"

Transport will be free for everyone with the Hayya card; everyone entering the country for the FIFA World Cup has been required to obtain one on entry, from the start of November.

Qatar is setting a precedent with this World Cup, as it will be the first tournament in which fans will be able to attend more than one match per day during the Group Stage, as the longest journey between stadiums will take one hour.

Less travel time = more match time

Chairman of the Argentinian club Estudiantes de La Plata, Juan Sebastian Veron (former international footballer), stated that the World Cup in Qatar would be "wonderful" and completely different from the previous World Cups because of various aspects that would make it stand out from others.

The Argentinian star said during a star chat session at the Aspire Academy Global Summit (held on 3-4 October) that the Qatar World Cup 2022 "has a great advantage in that fans will not need to travel as long as in the past to attend the matches, and most importantly, the players will not have to travel to the matches in the advanced stages, as the tournament is held in a small geographical area, and this will have a positive impact from a technical point of view."

Doha Metro: On track for the World Cup

Observers believe the brand-new Doha Metro will be the most heavily used mode of transport for the masses of football fans.

Dr Abdullah bin Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Subaie is the Minister of Municipality and CEO of Qatar Railways Company (also known as Qatar Rail). He says that the Doha Metro will be a key component of the comprehensive transport planning system during the tournament when transport use is expected to multiply by six from current levels.

Al Subaie made these comments during a panel discussion organised by Qatar Rail on 4 October which discussed "safe and effective crowd management in metro stations."

The Chief Operations Officer at Qatar Rail, Abdulla Al-Sulaiti, explained that the metro would be open 21 hours a day during the tournament so fans could travel easily, and predicted that Doha Metro would see the traffic of between 500,000 and 700,000 people per day during the World Cup.

The Doha Metro network provides connections between five stadiums, with metro stations close to Education City Stadium, Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, Stadium 974, Lusail Stadium and Khalifa International Stadium – fans are within easy walking distance from these stadiums once they reach the station. Buses are available from the closest metro stations to Al-Thumama, Al Bayt and Al Janoub stadiums.

"Doha Metro will be a key component of the comprehensive transport planning system during the tournament, when transport use is expected to multiply by six from current levels"

As well as trains, Qatar Rail will provide a Metrolink service – providing free bus transport from metro stations to areas close by, as well as taxis for passengers at discounted prices, and "Park & Ride" parking spots next to certain stations. 

Mowasalat-Karwa bus fleet

Less than 60 days before kick-off, Mowasalat-Karwa, the state-owned transport company of Qatar, declared its readiness for the World Cup, stating that around 4,000 buses were available to transport the fans. Approximately 25 percent of these are electric buses. 800 taxis and 1,300 "economy service" taxis (waffar) were also standing ready.

A company statement indicated that more than 9,000 drivers, 2,000 support employees, and 3,000 operational staff were ready to provide a comfortable and easy transport experience during the tournament. There will be more than 300 bus routes, utilising the newly-built, state-of-the-art road network to access the various stadiums, facilities, attractions and accommodation areas.

Lusail Stadium will host the World Cup final on 18 December. Mowasalat-Karwa was able to trial its readiness for the World Cup during the inauguration of the stadium that took place on 9 September when it hosted the Lusail Super Cup final between Saudi Pro League champions, Al Hilal SFC and the Egyptian Premier League winners, Zamalek.

Mowasalat-Karwa successfully provided a smooth bus service to transport 77,000 Saudi and Egyptian fans to the match, from the Abu Samra crossing and Hamad International Airport. It also provided buses from Doha Airport to the new Doha metro station, rolled out the new economy taxi booking service through the Karwa Taxi App as well as a fleet of 350 normal taxis to serve the streets during the period of the Lusail Super Cup.

Multiple options

Qatar is providing a host of other transport options such as bicycles, electric scooters, water taxis and others. In addition to the metro, buses and public taxis, Careem and Uber provide on-demand transport services for passengers, via two apps, to and from the airport and within the country's neighbourhoods and streets, except for those that are expected to be turned into pedestrian zones, such as the Doha Corniche.

Five false claims on Qatar World Cup analysed and debunked https://t.co/Ik9xF3OK1I

— The New Arab (@The_NewArab) November 1, 2022

Integrated traffic planning

The Ministry of Interior recently started a weekly partial closing of a number of main roads to personal cars and pick-up vehicles, while allowing buses and taxis. Plans are underway to fully activate this system on a daily basis in November, to ease traffic flow, given the large number of private cars owned by citizens and residents.

Highway engineer Namir Muhammad Wess specialised in road signage and closures. He told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, The New Arab's Arabic-language sister publication, that the proposed street closure plans have been modified and tested several times in recent months, and aim to reduce congestion during the World Cup which will see the population rise by up to 50 percent. He praised the transformation of the Corniche into a pedestrian zone by banning road traffic there.

"The proposed street closure plans have been modified and tested several times in recent months, and aim to reduce congestion during the World Cup which will see the population rise by up to 50 percent"

However, Ahmad Abdul Rahman Hindawi, manager of Lavenir Consulting Engineering firm, believes closing the main streets will worsen traffic flow and cause difficulties for those trying to get to work, or even the stadiums. He said that measures were needed to ease the flow of traffic in accordance with traffic studies, including removing remaining roundabouts and swapping them for traffic lights. But closing streets won't ease traffic flow, especially with the population surge during the World Cup, according to him.

Perhaps in light of predicted issues around congestion, Qatar's Cabinet has decided that 80 percent of government employees will work from home from the start of November until 19 December. Working hours have been set from 7 am to 11 am. This decision was announced by the Cabinet in accordance with the country's preparations to host the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

This is an edited translation from our Arabic edition. To read the original article click here.

Translated by Rose Chacko   

This article is taken from our Arabic sister publication, Al-Araby Al Jadeed and mirrors the source's original editorial guidelines and reporting policies. Any requests for correction or comment will be forwarded to the original authors and editors.

Have questions or comments? Email us at: info@alaraby.co.uk