POSTED: Wednesday November 17th 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Qatar 2022 Bid Statement - Response to FIFA Evaluation Bid Report

Hassan Al-Thawadi, Chief Executive of Qatar 2022 said:

"FIFA's Bid Evaluation Report recognises many of Qatar's exciting and innovative World Cup hosting plans, and highlights the extensive national, regional and international legacy which would result from a FIFA World Cup being held in the Middle East.

"Qatar's bid has full support from across the region and hosting the FIFA World Cup is absolutely crucial to the future development of football in the Middle East.  Recent research suggests that as many as 140 million extra players would start playing football as a result of the FIFA World Cup being hosted in the region.  This scale of legacy is unique to the Qatar bid.

"We are also pleased that the FIFA report describes the Qatar bid as 'low risk' and pays tribute to our delivery of environmental sustainability and the wide-ranging advantages of modular stadia.  In fact we have met or exceeded every single FIFA requirement demanded of a bidding nation.
"We recognise that concerns have been expressed about climatic conditions in Qatar in the summer months.  The precautions referred to in the report have already been put in place with our proposed air-cooled solutions for stadiums, training sites, fans zones and other outdoor areas.  These are already operational in Qatar, and are being further developed and rolled out in the coming years.

"As part of our legacy, we will share our new zero carbon cooling technology with the rest of the world, ensuring that football can be played 365 day a year no matter what the climate.  This issue is not just one for Qatar, it is something that affects many parts of the world and we have ready-made solutions that can help the global growth of the game. 
"In addition, while the report confirms that substantial construction is needed to deliver our hosting plans, all of this development is an integral part of the Qatar National Plan and will be delivered well within the time limits required for a 2022 FIFA World Cup.  Qatar has shown over recent years a proven track-record of delivering large scale infrastructure projects efficiently and effectively.

"Our government is spending $50 billion on infrastructure development, including a new international airport opening in 2012 that will cater for 50 million passengers a year, a nationwide metro system and major new road networks.  These are all happening and will be ready well ahead of 2022.
"Overall there are no issues raised in this report that have not already been addressed by the Qatar bid. We are aware of the concerns expressed but we have ensured that all of them can be answered to the satisfaction of the global football family.  Our bid remains on track and focused on a successful final presentation in Zurich next month."

Notes to Editors

For more information on Qatar's bid, please visit http://www.qatar2022bid.com

Contact

Christian Fianco
Media Manager
Qatar 2022
+974 55669340
media@qatar2022bid.com

Vero Communications: +44 7775 677 408

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Keywords · Qatar · FIFA World Cup 2022 · Hassan Al-Thawadi · soccer

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Name: Christian Fianco
Organization: Qatar 2022 Bid Committee
Email:
Phone: +974 55669340
URL: http://www.qatar2022bid.com

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