Is Qatar ready for the World Cup?

Every four years, the world comes together to watch the biggest sporting event on the planet: the FIFA World Cup. This year, the tournament will be held in Qatar, a small country in the Middle East. Qatar has been preparing for 12 years, since the then FIFA President, Josep Blatter announced in 2010 that they won the bid for hosting the event. But many of us are still wondering if the country is ready to host such a large event.

Qatar's preparations for the World Cup

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Qatar has been working hard to prepare for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The country has built new stadiums and infrastructure and is training its citizens to be ready for the influx of tourists. Qatar also worked hard to clean its image as a welcoming and hospitable place. Even though the middle-east country has more than one retrograde law. Nevertheless, with the World Cup just months away, Qatar, at least organization-wise, is ready for the biggest sporting event in the world.

Qatar's investment and volunteers

Qatar made significant strides in the groundwork for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The country has invested an estimated 200 billion dollars in upgrading its infrastructure, including the construction of new stadiums, hotels, and transportation systems. Just its new metro system cost 36 billion to build. Qatar also worked hard to ensure that its 20,000 volunteers could communicate with the over 1.5 million visitors that will go for the major sporting event. With all of these preparations underway, Qatar is confident that it will be ready to host a successful World Cup in 2022.

Stadiums

Qatar's preparations for the World Cup have been widely praised, by big corporations for its state-of-the-art stadiums being built to accommodate the influx of fans. Also, they were cherished by the amazing design of the Stadiums.  Let's remember this was a particularly difficult World Cup to organize since most of the Stadiums didn't exist when it was announced 12 years ago that the middle-east country was going to host the event. 
Also, the country has invested in other infrastructure projects, such as expanding the airport and building new hotels.

However, there are still some concerns about Qatar's weather conditions during the World Cup. For example, there are worries about the horrific heat of this desert area. In July, Doha can get up to 106° Fahrenheit (or 41° Celsius). Despite these challenges, Qatar is confident that it will be ready to host the World Cup in 2022. The country has already hosted several major sporting events, including the Asian Games in 2006 and the FIFA Club World Cup in 2021.

Qatar's economy

Qatar is one of the richest countries in the world, with a per capita GDP of $61,276 in 2021. The country has been investing heavily in infrastructure projects in preparation for the World Cup, which is estimated to cost $200 billion. Qatar's economy is expected to grow by 17 billion after World Cup-related projects. The country's construction sector has been booming in recent years, with Qatar awarding $30 billion worth of contracts in 2017 alone. 

Qatar and human rights

Qatar has been heavily accused of human rights abuses in the lead-up to the World Cup. Amnesty International has denounced that migrant workers employed in the construction of World Cup stadiums have been subjected to forced labor and other abuses like taking away their passports until the leaders of the stadium project wanted to give them back.
Furthermore, Qatar has also been criticized for its treatment of the LGBTQ community. According to its law, queer people can be sanctioned with one to five years in prison. And also its been reported that queer couples won't be allowed to hold hands while they are in Qatar. The organizing nation has established that this is for not "disrespecting" the local culture.

Migration

Qatar has seen a significant increase in population over the past few years, and most of these new residents are migrant workers. Many of them come from countries like Nepal, India, and Bangladesh, and they often work in construction or domestic labor. This has led to some tension between locals and migrants, as well as concerns about whether or not Qatar can provide enough jobs for everyone.

Another issue is housing. With so many people coming to Qatar for the World Cup, there is a need for more housing. This has led to an increase in construction, but it has also led to problems like the big disparity between the social classes in the middle-east. There have been reports of migrant workers living in cramped, dirty conditions, and this is something that Qatar will need to improve as one of the richest nations in the world. 

There is no question that Qatar has put a great deal of effort into preparing for the World Cup. They have spent billions of dollars on infrastructure and have made sure that all the stadiums will be ready in time. However, there are still some concerns about how Qatar got ready to host such a large event. There are worries about the heat, the accommodation, and even the safety of visitors. Only time will tell if Qatar is truly ready for the World Cup. At least ethically speaking this will be the most despicable World Cup ever organized.