Blow to Qatar's 2022 bid
Blow to Qatar's 2022 bid as FIFA brands it "high risk"
By Bloomberg Thursday, 18 November 2010 9:53 AM
www.arabianbusiness.com
Qatar’s bid to host the soccer World Cup is the only one of nine contenders to stage the event in 2018 or 2022 to receive an overall “high” operational risk rating from the sport’s governing body.
The country has set aside $50bn to complete works if it wins the right to become the first Middle East host of the World Cup, in 2022. An official document sent by FIFA to its 24-member decision-making body also listed Qatar’s facilities for teams as “high risk.”
In a separate FIFA assessment of all bids made public yesterday, the Gulf state’s suitability to host sport’s most- watched event was questioned because of the “potential health risk” posed by its summer temperatures - which can reach more than 46 degrees centigrade (115 degrees Fahrenheit) - and challenges linked to having 12 stadiums within a 20-mile radius.
“We recognize that concerns have been expressed about climatic conditions in Qatar in the summer months,” the bid’s chief executive officer Hassan Al-Thawadi said in a statement.
“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.”
Qatar 2022 had no further comment to add on the document sent to FIFA’s executive committee.
Russia’s proposal to stage the 2018 World Cup is the only other bid not to get an overall “low risk” rating. The country is a “medium risk” operationally amid concerns over its airports and international connections, which are rated as high- risk.
“Risks in the operational area that FIFA has flagged up in their Bid Evaluation Report are already being addressed and will all be solved well ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, should Russia be awarded the honor to stage the event,” Andreas Herren, a spokesman for the bid, said in a statement.
With the final vote set for December 2, other bidding nations have reacted to the publication of the evaluation reports by FIFA.
The US, which is competing with Qatar as well as Australia, Japan, and South Korea for 2022, hasn’t received government guarantees required to stage the 32-team tournament.
The bid committee’s Executive Director David Downs said all those guarantees have been signed, but were modified because of US law.
“We have been in conversations with FIFA about this and they are comfortable with the situation,” Downs said.
Of the 2022 bidders, the US, South Korea and Australia had more “low risk” marks than Japan and Qatar in the 17 categories listed in FIFA’s report.
“Our bid has ticked all of the boxes and our full government guarantees mean we really will be a ‘no worries,’ friendly and safe option for FIFA and the football fans of the world,” Football Federation Australia CEO Ben Buckley said in a statement.
England and Spain/Portugal’s joint offer posed the overall lowest risk in the all-European race for 2018. Then came Netherlands/Belgium and Russia. FIFA has expressed concerns about the practicality of joint bids.
Andy Anson, chief executive of England’s 2018 effort, said the technical reports won’t be the only factor in determining who gets the event, which is worth $5bn according to a report commissioned by the US bid.
“I don’t know if technical reports can win bids but I know they can lose them,” Anson told reporters in London yesterday.
England’s bid has rebounded from the possible damage done to it by revelations in the Sunday Times newspaper that led to the suspension of two FIFA executive committee officials, Anson said.
Nigeria’s Amos Adamu and Tahiti’s Reynald Temarii allegedly told undercover reporters their votes could be bought. They may be expelled from FIFA today when the findings of an investigation are announced.
England last week wrote to the voters to dissociate the bid from the country’s media after officials including FIFA President Sepp Blatter questioned the methods used to uncover information. Anson also visited the British Broadcasting Corp.’s Director General Mark Thompson over a documentary about FIFA that the broadcaster is planning to run days before the final vote.
“If they truly believe there’s a journalistic reason for this they could have done it any time in the last two years. To do it like this is sensationalism,” Anson said. “I didn’t ask him for anything but all I said was, ‘Here are the potential implications.’ It’s not very patriotic of the BBC.”
http://www.arabianbusiness.com/blow-qatar-s-2022-bid-as-fifa-brands-it-h...
haha got that a bit too late!
it was not even the house it was the parking lot but still they probably saw it as me invading the property of a shekh.
@ Rye,with all due respect to your situation...Qatari culture is not open to random people walking into/driving into their homes asking for directions or anything else for that matter...there's a reason Qatari homes have such high walls mate!...anyways i'm assuming you're new in Qatar(?),so for future reference...please don't drive into/walk into a Qatari house UNLESS you're invited,they consider it highly offensive...when in Rome mate! :)...
dude i was going to the American embassy today with my girl and on the way there, I just stopped to ask someone for direction not to miss my appointment.. on my right was a villa with a booth that looked like a security of some sort.. my mistake is that i parked inside the property, of a Shekh apparently but i had no other way to do it. so that Old dude ( about 85 years old if not more) got so offended when i asked him for directions and he started swinging an iron bar at me while i am in the car!! lol...
Then He started swearing at me even though i apologized. He understood what i said cuz i spoke in Arabic to him...
what happens to people in this place?
they may be Christian! What a shame to hear that something like a Christian expressing their faith would be so disturbing to some Qataris. I wish you were in the majority, genesis.
@ genesis,appreciate your honesty mate...someone mentioned their paid for numbered seats being occupied by Qatari youth @ the Brazil-Argentina game & they wouldn't move despite being explained to that the seats were numbered...this superiority complex & false sense of pride is another thing that definitely has to change if Qatar want to host a World Cup...
Hmmmm.....not a native qatari then? Obviously he is a christian....do not the Qatari public tolerate this?
We should be intolerant of intolerance.
After today's Qatar Vs. Saudi match, Qataris in local internet forums are outraged. And that's not because we had a draw 1-1 in the last 5 minutes of the match due to an own goal by one of our players! But due to Qatar player Lawrence Quaye performing the sign of the cross when he lost the chance to score.
If people can't tolerate simple hand gesture, how would they tolerate thousand of people from different faiths & beliefs.
It really saddens me to admit that, but the people mindset in our country will not change in the course of a 12 years.
@ genesis,we have a saying in India,"you can take a man out of India,but you can't take India out of that man." replace India with Qatar & that is exactly what you sound like & ironically,you have the audacity to term my raising a very valid point a "16 year old's 'argument'"???...so quite clearly,you didn't get me,so to clarify,i'm not 'arguing',im stating the facts as they are & i'm also not denying the efforts being made HE Sh.Abdulla @ MOI & other forward thinking,educated locals like him but as much as you would deny that here & would not accept,they are a minority in this country,they make the policy,the implementation of that policy is much further down that ladder & those are the people i'm referring to...to imply that any expat feeling they're unfairly treated approach the Minister of Interior,or the NHRC chairman or someone of equal stature is what sounds juvenile...as you correctly pointed out,to us expats,it seems like every Qatari is related to the other some way or the other,so can you blame an expat for "caving in" when usually what he sees when he approaches a Qatari official for justice,is the official instead greeting the guilty Qatari with 3 kisses on the cheek,a smile & some "hey long time no see!" banter?...
Let me simplify it for you genesis,put yourself in a regular expat's shoes here or at least try & then tell me,what your honest opinion is?...you could never fully understand what an expat here feels like just like one of us could never fully understand what you,as a Qatari feels...it's a LOT easier said than done...& btw,there's a bit of a difference between laws "favouring" locals & non-enforcement of the law as it is stated only because the guilty party is the local...
Genesis,
I used "clashes" in a metaphoric sense.
What I meant is that two opposite ideologies (Islamic Conservative Society vs. WC’s festivities) would “collide”, in the sense that they would be exposed to each other and a result of this sharing the same space, frictions (even invisible) would arise. Not necessarily physical clashes but discomforts in both sides.
To better illustrate what I meant, take the example of the silly rules for entering a bar/club in Doha. The rule itself is a result of the silent clash between the way the entire world sees night life entertainment and the way it’s perceived by Qatar. The silent clash occurred, causing discomfort in the Qatari side which led to a “corrective” measure that is now causing discomfort to the rest of the world who happens to be in Doha. Both sides hate each other and they only tolerate each other for the simple reason that both need each other.
As for the WC crowd, they generally lack the understanding of the Qatari society and they couldn’t care less about sacrificing their common sense joy of living for what they see as outdated and retrograde way of life.
I heard that Qatar wants to move Oktoberfest to March :-p
A german 'Bierfest' is not possible without pork products! So how do they intend to do that? Thanks for the laugh! And as far as the Brits are concerned, Qatar is welcome to airlift France to wherever they want except to the UK!
out that Qatar have made a double bid to hold the German 'beerfest' and the tour de france next year. 320 new bars will be built and Qatar plan to buy France and airlift the whole country to the middle east. This will be possible by next year i am told, while checking the william hill bookmakers site these bids are slight favourites over the WC bid, honestly! ;0)
Qatar has never had riots before.
But then, Qatar has never hosted a WORLD Cup with thousands of people who did NOT choose to come here and accept the abuses of freedom placed on them.
You come here to work, you accept that.
Why FORCE people who live freely to be restricted against their will?
Here goes the "i don't hate the country, but the ignorance & Arrogance of its inhabitants" argument...;)
Again, you argue like a 16 years old, and concentrate on some youth behavior. This is not tolerated by officials anymore. Ever Since Shaikh Abdulla bin Nasser appointed as MOI , there have been drastic changes in enforcement of laws regardless of their nationality.
This is tangible in many of the services offered by MOI. The attorney General , The NHRC Chairman & The Manager of Traffic Department have announced in many occasions that favoritism is being tackled in many levels.
This is already causing a huge debate among locals even in the MOI website
http://www.moi.gov.qa/IntServices/Actions?action=viewCurrentDiscussion
Of course Nepotism and cronyism can't be abolished over night as it's part of many people mentality( Remember that most Qataris are interrelated by family ties).
What i see now, It's the expatriates that seems to cave-in whenever confronted with a local, instead of taking it to authorities.
Some of the laws surely favors the locals, or else how would they be protected.
The only reason why Europe is suffering now with immigrants is due to not abiding laws that favors nationals.
Thank you gadarene - my thoughts exactly. This is not about MY hate, I do not hate this country. What I do hate is the arrogance and ignorance shown to us by uneducated local people. Everybody knows perfectly that a local is always right - unless you don't read QL topics or live in Qatar. Sad and small visioned mentality.
@ abumash & my fellow Ql'ers,my apologies as well for hijacking the thread,but i felt the need to clarify this...
genesis,Alumnar has expressed a sentiment that a LOT of expats FEEL in Qatar even if they haven't actually been TOLD in so many words,"this is my country so my rules apply"...yes,you're right in that MOST of that lot don't really hold any power but there are some that do & there are enough who hold sufficient power to make life difficult for the expat in question,surely you would agree?...be it the psycho in the white 'G' landcruiser flashing his halogens @ me like a maniac,when i'm already doing about 95 kmph on a 80 kmph road & the lane is full of cars in front of me or the lady who conveniently walks straight to the front of a line ignoring all the people that have been patiently waiting their turn...the sentiment is visible everyday to expats across this country,MY country,MY rules,doesn't matter if they actually say it or not,MOST expats would choose not to even engage them in discussion because they know that is exactly what they will eventually say & there's nothing to reply to someone who is so unaware & uninformed as to believe that the basic rules of human society don't apply to them in THEIR country...
To predict clashes, is something way over exaggerated. If you look into past & present, Qataris unlike neighboring countries have no history of riots or political opposition. In fact there isn't any known Local Political opponent.
Despite resenting many aspects of cultural changes which the country has witnessed recently, many choose to ignore that it's there.
Many Qataris knows that the World cup would benefit them financially in one way or another(Even die hard conservatives), maybe this would keep them silent.
They might not understand or embrace it, but they would definitely not resist it
Were you ever been abused?
And don't tell me , you were told by someone somewhere that it's their country. Many locals do ignorantly resort to that sentence but don't really hold any power.
i apologize for hijacking the thread , but please don't make up some false accusation based on your own prejudice. This thread is about the bid , not about how you despise the locals & the country
Yes, locals chose to ignore those changes and stick to abusing us and imposing the fact that they are right because it is THEIR country. With this kind of mentality they are not safe to host such event. Their word rules, whether right or wrong. Can you imagine the conservative locals going out just to stir up trouble with football fans? I can! Can you imagine locals accusing visitors of God knows what they come up with and they will be right and supported by police because they say so and it's their country? I can! When the WC time comes Qatar can just decide to do what they like about alcohol and rules and put up with the sanctions - we all know they have the money to do so. Even if they don't get to host another WC after 2022 for breaking rules - they don't care, they made it once and pulled it off THEIR OWN WAY! Do they care they spoil the true WC spirit? Not a bit!
@ Alumnar,you forgot to add 'and seasoned rear-end kissers' to the 'plain ignorant'! *wink*! :)...
Steve, those who believe Doha will get to host the WC have to be plain ignorant about the true meaning of hosting such event. Qatar is going back in time and progress with every passing year! It won't be long before they are just like Saudi!
.... but it's all moot.
With everything considered, e.g. the climate, the conservatism of Wahabi, and (from 8 years of experience here) the almost complete lack of ability to deliver even the smallest of infrastructure projects on time, there is more chance of me being picked as the next striker for England than there is of Qatar hosting the WC (just to quantify that I am fat, 50, smoker, and Scottish).
It's unfortunate that realism is missing from so many of the supporters' posts.
Nic, when the clashes happen there will be only ONE side blamed - and it won't be the side which has 'locals'. Qatar, as said, does not have the culture, mind and heart to embrace, understand AND tolerate WC 'fever'.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/9228123.stm
@ Nic,well put mate...
perfect NIC!
well said NIC you summed it up perfectly.
@gadarene ~ i don't believe in those crap! cmon mate where's your sense of humor!
Genesis,
I think most of us (expats and locals) who don't support Qatar's bid, is mainly because we understand that both, the local culture and the WC's culture are not compatible. If they get to share the same space, there will certainly be clashes and both sides will suffer.
@ lostinspace,this country has SO MANY expats who are ONLY here because of their rear end kissing abilities & not much else & QL is just a reflection of that,so no surprises there really...so for that lot,it's just blind support for ANYTHING Qatar may do,since their primary qualities, or should i say quality is rear end kissing,as opposed to using their brains & possession of a proper skill or talent,so neither are they really considering the pros & cons of hosting the World Cup here(conservative nature of the local population & the extreme climatic conditions @ that time of year,it's not rocket science is it?) nor are they using their brains to engage in healthy debate or should i say they are unable to engage in healthy debate...i presume you stated what you did because they are so easy to spot on these threads eh?!...
@ roy2jacinto,newsflash sunshine,the Mayans got the date wrong...didn't you read?...oh obviously not...
say that you must hate Qatar because you dont support the bid for the WC? On a personal note I quite like Qatar but the problem is that I love football and that is why I dont want to see the WC here. I do believe that Qatar and Qataris want the WC but i dont think they want all that goes with it! If i had been in most other countries in the world i would have loved to go to the Brazil v Argentina match, here i avoided it after watching the England match, It was painfully boring with no atmosphere and thats because no alcohol was available, some may not agree but its true.
To embrace the world cup you have to embrace the party that accompanies it, this im afraid would take longer than 12 years!
the reason I don't jump on the bandwagon for Qatar to host the WC is because of it's religiously conservative society. I don't think they will benefit from hosting WC and I think it will create more clashes. In the long run, I don't see this as good for Qatar or the fans. Everything else (weather, infrastructure, etc.) are not nearly as big an issue as the fundamentals of Qatari culture (which includes the "family day" mentality). Taking things too far could be destabelising to the development of and I would hate to see that happen to the country or the regime.
...never gonna happen! world end in 2012 anyway ~ hehehe
If you ask me Qatar should be focusing on Olympic bids. I honestly believe that they have a chance there. The Olympics is not the party atmosphere that the World Cup is, and it comes with such a huge entourage of athletes and trainers, doctors and families that they'll help to fill the stadium. Also the Olympics prides itself on its cultural diversity and giving developing nations a chance.
When the new Olympic bid is announced I'll be supporting it whole wholeheartedly, but I just can't support the World Cup bid because I don't think this is the right atmosphere for it.
In this you’re absolutely right
No one is discussing the "Elephant in the room" which is Qataris conservative nature. Unlike UAE or Bahrain, Qatar is the only GCC country after Saudi that follows the Wahabi sect of Sunnah.
The most heated issue discussed at local internet forums & raised through local writers revolves around Foreign women dress code, gender mixing & prohibiting the sell of Alcohol.
Many awaits the upcoming parliament election , wishfully hoping they’d be able to impose more restriction on signs of westernization in the country.
I like to be optimistic, but I don’t think that people here would change their mindset in the course of 12 years.
Besides all what has been discussed, weather, lack of infrastructures, unreliablility in meeting targets, etc… we can’t overlook at the national conservative culture, totally adverse to the typical World Cup’s celebration environment.
Every event has its inherent atmosphere.
Some societies can handle almost anything (to the extreme of porn festivals) some conservatives can’t handle any, with liberal, free and open mind festivity behaviors.
The World Cup does occur in an atmosphere that is not usually welcome in the Qatari society. Is Qatar going to change its social ethic rules in 12 years or is it willing to display its hypocritical face?
How come the Qatari Authorities choose to close their eyes to this issue just for this occasion and remain in silence about what will they do to impose (or to loose) what they already impose now to all expats?!
Integrity is missing here, but I am not surprised!
So how is my mindset not open Flor? I have just said above it does not bother me if Qatar win it, I am stating reasons as to why I think they will not get it. Just because we choose to live and work in Qatar does not mean we have to support everything Qatar does. I don't support everything my home country of New Zealand does, that does not mean I hate it and want to destroy it. So again if you are capable, explain why mine and the people against the bid our minds are not open? And as to relying on presumptions, both sides have to as nothing is built yet, we can only go on past performance..
I always mentioned "hope Qatar get it" for all the reasons I have said many times before. But you, you took the negative side and people who usually take that side, relies on presumptions!
And many times I mentioned, if Qatar gets it, good, if not, I am not bothered. Precisely I can argue civilly! My mindset is open, unlike yours!
And I won't say "take your pills", I was not raised that way! You are!
haha again you can't have a rational discussion with someone...time to take your pills Flor...I don't have a problem if Qatar win the bid, I'm pointing out some valid issues why I don't think they will get it, as are plenty of other people. I have no probs with people who are in favor of the bid, its called healthy debate, unlike your irrational extreme posts...Grow up man and start contributing to the posts
not really...
As Dubai didn’t really gave empty promises but failed to deliver on time. The palm island is already inhibited ;)
of the bid n many threads, can you show me any hint that you love this country! And labeling people who don't agree with you as "kiss ass" or "ass licking" give the kind of personality you have. Sorry, Padre, I think you should be the one that should get psychological check up. Tell me, what will you do if Qatar wins the bid?
Your badmouthing is very disgusting! Is that the way you were raised?
@ Flor...mate you are the only one who can't conduct a civil discussion on the pros and cons of Qatar hosting/bidding for the WC. So those of us who are against Qatar hosting (NOT bidding) HATE Qatar and want to destroy it (in your words)...serisouly have you got a major screw loose or what? You are quite clearly one of the subserivant types who kiss ass where they can, but some of us can form our own opinions based on fact and our own personal experiences (and perceptions at that). Bring to the post quotes from QLers where they show they HATE Qatar and want to destroy it, seriously mate you need to take a massive reality check, you obvioulsy can't keep things in perspective very well if these are the conclusions you are coming to..
of your "brochure" thing to the issue being discussed. Was it you are implying that what happened in DW maybe the same thing that may happened to the presentation made by Qatar? Was it not comparing? If not, what was it?
you really are quite thick really.
I did not 'compare' Qatar to DW.
I don't care that it is Dubai, it could have been Lagos World, or Singapore World, or London World for all I care.
I was just saying that it is easy to promise something, and then not be able to deliver, so you should not belive the hype.
That was all.
Stop being the saviour of the thread and pulling up stats and accusing people of 'twisting' words.
My OP still stands; Dubai World. Glossy brochure, flashy presentation, empty promise, for whatever reason.
I never compared Dubai to Qatar, just the plastic promised models of the projects.
Comprende?
Thanks for the lecture though.
who don't even know what civil discussion is. However you discuss things with these people, they are mindset to destroy this country. Not even a small hint that they can argue balanced but always with hate! Maybe they kill themselves when Qatar wins the bid.
It seems that they knew very well the FIFA people and know-all about about WC! Maybe they just want more booze and more boobs to see! It's limited here!
You can twist words all you like& take it out of context. But that would not change your OP where you compared DW with Qatar’s Bid and thus was my response
Ever since Qatar first announced its Bid. I’ve written dozen of posts on QL ( do a search) where I did stated how illogical it would be to have the world cup here in summer.
My intention in this thread is to replay to those who understated Qatar capability of achieving promised infrastructure.
@ genesis,to clarify,i only replied to your misinterpretation of Qhris' post which you thought was comparing Qatar with Dubai which it wasn't...irrespective of my "limited knowledge of things around here",as i have ALWAYS stated in all my posts,if awarded this bid,i have no doubt in my mind whatsoever that the required infrastructure will be in place on time,Qatar's fairly dismal record with project completion notwithstanding,simply because,the world will be watching on this one so as someone pointed out here,apart from the fact that there will be even more human rights abuse of low-income workers,fact is,Qatar will deliver on time,i for one,don't doubt that part of it...my issue,again as i have always stated is the conservative nature of the country & the local people & the inhumane,inhospitable heat @ that time of year,both of which i believe,are valid reasons,unless you're going to dispute that as well?...
Again, you got on your soapbox and preached knowledge without reading my post properly.
I didn't say the reasons for that were monetary, political, or because space aliens stole all of the materials to build the bridge.
I said that they gave a build date, released artists impressions, made promises, and it didn't happen. For whatever reason.
Instead of showing something when it is realistic, after all the issues whatever they are have been sorted, it is all fancy presentations and unveilings of things that turn out to be empty, delayed, or anti-climactic promises.
Not saying they can't, or won't, do anything, but to say 'WOWWW, you should have seen the presentation!!!' and believe the promises made.... well, they are hardly going to show disappointing things and tell you what they CAN'T do, are they?
Again, you prove your limited knowledge of things around here. Dubai have started its infrastructure development since the early 70's. Highway projects there now is limited to Road works. Whereas Qatar initiated all utilities public work ( Roads, electricity, Water, Drainage & Telecommunication) at once after 1998.
Anyone working for NADIA would tell you that the main reason for the delay was route approvals and corridors to accommodate utilities for the intended site and the complete new airport area.
While it’s very easy for you to blame the government entities management skills ignorantly, their role is limited to tendering & awarding contracts as they are the end user. The real work is executed by international companies which is monitored & supervised by international consultants
As for the Qatar Highway project being delayed, this was disputed in court. Eventually, the project was delivered and the delay wasn’t more than two years.Do you think that 150 Million riyals was too much for the Qatari government to have the work delivered on time? The same was given on charity to rebuild destroyed villages in the south of Lebanon.
Again, A wrong example.
The only reason the Qatar Bahrain causeway was further delayed is political. Since day one, it was expected that the Saudis were secretly reluctant to allow such project as it would gradually limit their dominance over GCC road transport and the use of King Fahd Causeway. Add to that Qatari conservatives perspective that the causeway would allow what they call moral corruption & strengthen the Shiite minority inside the country.
In one way or another, this causeway will be constructed because of the will of both countries leaders. and you won't believe it if i tell you that winning the bid would play a vital role to have the "on hold" project to be recommence.
hehehe it is crazy how shallow some people are to tell others that they have limited knowledge over a very complex topic like that... Those saying Dubai does it right..dude, the state borrows money every year to sustain itself VS a country ranked as the RICHEST worldwide.
Tall buildings and fancy streets are great to have, but i'd say owning a big chunk of London is a smarter way of doing things for the long run, when all that oil and gas gets consumed.
Gadarene, you clearly let your emotions talk and it shows you hate Qatar ;). I respect all your opinions man, but to many others repeating the word "mate" does not necessarily indicate intelligence in people, although English ex-pats are mostly very bright people.
Again, Qatar is not my favorite place and I can't stand it more than 3 weeks here... but common let us be fair judging.
plz do not take anything i said personal
That post wasn't really as much about money, as to make a point that anyone can produce a glossy brochure and fill it with pretty pictures and artists impressions.
Like the Qatar-Bahrain road, it makes for good headlines and photos, but will it actually get done.
Logistically, things have to be scaled down (few things that start out grand have ALL the things they promised), so being impressed by a power-point is a bit empty.
They sell you dreams, which can become nightmares.
Qatar can't be compared to Dubai as Dubai didn't have any natural resources to fall back on once the crunch started while Qatar is good for a number of years, more than 30 mentioned by genesis if I remember correctly a report I read a while back.
@ roy2jacinto,you are SO clueless,it's not even funny sunshine,don't even know where to start with you so i'm not going to bother...
@ mcdonalds3000,like your friend roy2jacinto,you seem equally clueless sunshine,so i don't where to start with you either but let's tread lightly with a simple question,what do you think national team football players do when they're not playing representing their country every 4 years @ the World Cup?...
@ Raven,yes any football fan could tell you that mate,but what makes you think roy2jacinto is a football fan??? *wink*!!!
@ genesis,yes Qatar started building it's first highway in 2004...you forgot to mention,they haven't finished it yet...how many YEARS has the initial stretch of Al-Waab street from the corner of Al Sadd been under roadworks? & we're talking a pretty small stretch of road here...
Did you know that the NDIA project has had in excess of 300 major changes made to it since conception?...to put it in perspective,the tunnel under the English channel had all of 80 major changes & that is considered a LOT...& how many times has the NDIA project completion date been postponed & how many more times will it be?...
Dubai my friend,with it's "very limited resources" has completed T3 @ Dubai airport & it's up & running & that project was conceptualized much AFTER NDIA was,yes the traffic is bad in Dubai but look @ the world class road network they have in place,they conceptualized their metro in the early 90's,in little over a decade,it's up & running...please mate,if i were Qatari,i would be ashamed at how much progress my next door neighbour has made with their "very limited resources" while with the highest GDP on the planet & the world's 2nd highest natural gas reserves,i can't get my s%$t together & finish any major project on time...which brings us back to,money alone CANNOT buy you everything be it a road network or an airport built in time or the rights to host the World Cup & you lot seem to think that EVERYTHING can be bought...well reality check,IT CAN'T...so it doesn't matter how many barrels you produce a day or your assets across London mate,what matters is how you get that money to work for you...therein lies the difference between here & Dubai...
....
you must be joking?
Are you actually comparing Dubai with its very limited resources with Qatar?
You do know that we produce five million barrels of liquefied natural gas a day
Even if we run out of resources, which would not happen in the next 30 years. We still have our investments which is stretched all over London ;)
how long have you lived in Qatar?
Did you know that only in 2004 Qatar started constructing its first highway ?
Did you know that till 1998 the highest building in west bay was the Sheraton hotel?
Did you know that till 2002 areas like Al-waab, Duhail, and around Education city were deserted areas with very few inhabitants.
Did you know that country's whole consumption of electricity was limited to 1500MW in 1995 & now it's more than 4000MW with all infrastructure reinforcement that was commissioned in less than 12 years.
The non-existent infrastructure can easily be achieved in 12 years.
it's the climate issue that can't be tackled . Other than that, there is absolutely no other challenges.
Did you see the 'presentation' for Dubai World?
Or how about the Snow Dome, that they were going to build in the desert, and actually sold real-estate to people worldwide? (Construction never started, but they had brochures printed)
so tell me am777 what was so amazing about the presentation? Was it the wonderful powerpoint presentation on the proposed new stadia or all the promises about new infrastructure, or how wonderful the fanzones will be..well anyone can do an amazing graphical presentation with awesome 3D tech etc, they have a non exisitant infrastructure system, a cooling system which isn't even in existance in a full blown stadium....so basically they have nothing in place but are saying we have 12 years, we deserve it because the ME hasn't had a WC before and we have a passion for the game that rivals any country. Hmmmm sounds like long odds to me....oh yes and the FIFA tech report gave Qatar the ONLY high risk mark out of bidding nations!
ex.ex
Don't.
The last time I dared to question Flors logic, he looked up my nationality and said that I had a 'superiority complex' over him because of the country I was born in, trying to make me out to be a racist, rather than just questioning his opinion.
Cannot have discussion with him.
I notice how as much as piss and moan about the discussion about Qatar hosting WC you always have to push your way into the threads. Poor little flor, feeling ignored?
I guess it is relative from they way you look at it.
*As a football fan i would MUCH rather go watch a world cup in Brazil or even Australia than come to Qatar. Why? because Qatar is a very boring and expensive for what you get and the mentality is way behind.
*As a Doha resident, I would much rather the world cup be here than Brazil. why? Because I am here! hehe.. selfish i know..
Fifa, will probably think most probably from the Fan's perspective more than from a Qatari resident's perspective..just for the sake of the game.. but who are we to know the insides?
@ roy2jacinto - so getting together with a group of mates before a match and sinking a few pints (and maybe a few more) then heading to the game for a couple of hours before heading back to the bars for some food and a few more drinks, that to you is boring and gay! Sheesh mate what planet do you live on....maybe you should spell out to the rest of us what an unboring and un-gay night is then? And as for FIFA putting back the date, not going to happen. Who do you think pays the players? The Clubs so if you think the EPL, Serie A, Prima Liga and the German Leauge will let that happen, or even that FIFA would allow it to happen think again pal...any football fan in the know could tell you that..
like in Philippine politics, nobody lose, only cheated! Lol!
I am a football fan and straight, but going to a place and watching 22 men run around in shorts, rather than going to a strip joint....well, its hardly an 'it's not gay'-proof past-time :-p
Just kidding.
The people defending the bid are fairweather fans.
Next they'll be suggesting the World Cup be moved to 2023, because Fifa have the power to change the year!
are back in action! Are you not getting tired? How much do the clubs pays you? Lol!
@mcdonalds3000 ~ you are right...
@gadarene ~ we are talking about people coming from different culture, people who live outside the box! watching games with friends, having dinner and go to bed sounds boring, sounds so gay. they are not traditional type of people, they don't live in 18th century, the world they live in is without boundaries.
Is it not politically motivated that the FIFa committee is not giving a chance to Qatar to stage the World Cup in 2022? Thats a fact that even all the billions of Qatar will be spend to cool-off the whole country during summer it will just be a futile plan to dream on. No human beings can change the climate instantly!!! So assuming that they are really giving a chance to this country, then why not move the date of the FIFa event to winter season? With all the resources that Qatar has, it will defnitely sort out all problems and find solutions to every bit of dubiously enumerated problems by the FIFa for it to rate Qatar as high risk. As for the fact that Qatar cannot change its ferocious heat during summer, I guess, the FIFa should pave its way to be considerate on this matter to change the event date to winter season. Considering that the event is on 2022, Qatar still have a lot of time to improve, innovate and even surpass the standards of FIFA for a country to stage the said event. With the high risk rating they have given to Qatar, it only shows that they are discouraging this country not to expect much that it will win the bid.
If Fifa really likes Qatar to win the bid, there are so many solutions, but if they sternly feel that they just dont like Qatar to stage the event, there are so many reasons.
@ ex.expat,well put mate...seeing as a LOT of expats in this country are here thanks to their excellent arse kissing skills & complete lack of it in anything else(those of you who are know full well who you are & those of you who aren't know it as well,so please save me the lecture),that is bound to reflect on this website as well i suppose...
@ mcdonalds3000,God has "balanced things" in that God has given them inhospitable climate for more than half the year but enough natural resources to make them super rich,that balance however does not or rather should not affect the status quo when discussing a month long OUTDOOR event to be held in June/July with fans coming in from all over the world,yes the stadiums are air-conditioned but what about the rest of Qatar?...
@ roy2jacinto,so according to you,"having fun" must involve "getting drunk & grabbing some ladies"?...just want to clarify your thoughts on this...as opposed to getting together with a few friends over a few beers,going to the game,enjoying the game together,having a few beers & dinner after the game & going home to bed without bothering anyone else,would you consider the above "having fun" as well?...
God knows how to balance things. Temperature here could be as high as 50 degree celcius during summer peak, but Qatar is considered to be the 2nd richest country in the world!!
(http://www.countryreports.org/compare/top25.aspx?c=GDPPerCapita)
If not choosen as the host country for the 2022 FIFA World Cup does not mean that its gonna be the end of the everything for Qatar. Qatar can still excel in other aspect to boost-off its name.
...i am not against qatar for the bid, i do also make a living here, it is a very big success to us all if qatar will get the bid, more jobs more opportunities will come! ~ i just want to express my concerns. other foreign country don't just come here for the game! they are used to have fun after the events! get drunk, grab some ladies, what do you think qatari police do if they see a couple "just kissing" on the street? HARAM! HARAM! HARAM! ~ it's normal for them who will come here!
it's just my opinion guys...
also watch this:
&feature=player_embedded
HOW THEY GONNA GET THE BID?
I would support it is because they have everything in place to do so and don't have any "cultural issues" that work against the hosting it.
We are just talking about WC. Having reservations about Qatar hosting it doesn't mean we don't appreciate the good things in Qatar. I work for my salary, treat people respectfully and abide by the laws here. That said, I don't have to kiss arse or love everything here, just as I don't in my country.
By the way in case qatar will host the world cup , you will have an open area and fan zone will be similiar smoking and non smoking area but instead will be alcohol.
read more guys about the file of qatar and their proposal for every problem .
With all respect to you guys .
if you contry was 1 of the bider would you support it in such way . you might say but qatar is not our country .
think for a second , about this country and whats offering for you and how you become part of this society and u investing in his growth . wish the good for this country coz he offered a good thing in return
and i really wish qatar will host the World cup to show really what they are capable to do more than any other country .
Good Luck QATAR ...
everyone of us would be like a lottery winner if they get it. So much job opportunities, so much money to be spent and made, rules to be changed for the international image. Not sure why many people seem to be against the idea.. I mean if you are here for the next few years, wouldn't you want to witness a cultural and business bloom and make more money at least?
I am not the biggest fan of Qatar.. but i truly think this event will make them open up and neutralize their stiff thoughts a bit...
good luck Qatar
but supposedly Qatar has plans to loosen the restrictions on alcohol at least to some degree. Will it be enough to make it what the fans want? Who knows. I think other "cultural sensitivities" being "accommodated" are a far greater concern.
I never could understand why Qatar really feels the need to host it. Scratch that. I do understand what drives them :P
And btw, I like a pint or 2 with my football, too. But I can do without some yob's sick in clogging the loos or worse, on my clothes. :(
ex.expat, erm,actually yes they can mate...for the simple reason that advertising revenues from breweries run into the millions...millions that FIFA risks losing if they attempt to host a "dry" World Cup or something of the sort...so yes,FIFA can say that,only difference is,they'll say it in a politically correct way...the message will be the same though...no alcohol(beer) no World Cup...btw,drunken yobs aren't the majority demographic amongst football fans mate...most true football fans enjoy a pint or two before or after the game,i see no reason whatsoever a football fan should be denied that right simply to "accommodate" the host nation's "cultural sensibilities"...i mean,if a host nation requires so much "accomodation",they shouldn't be hosting a tournament like the World Cup in the first place now should they?...better off sticking to the world indoor athletics & the ATP tour eh?! *wink*!...
is what the majority of Qataris want so I am not surprised that wasn't more widely available. At the same time, I don't think it's a bad thing to stage a WC with more controls over alcohol. You have to admit that drunken yobs can spoil a good match if they get carried away. The issue would be whether there is enough to do outside of attending matches that make Qatar a pleasant tourist destination as well as being able to properly stage an event on such a scale. At present I would say no, but a lot can happen between now and 2022.
I also think that FIFA should consider whether Qatar will stage things according to their rules (meaning all ticket holders would be treated equally, with fair access and proper security). In the final analysis FIFA can't really say we won't give it to you because of alcohol ;)
...is correct.
Plus would have been the PERFECT chance to prove that alcohol will be allowed to be served on a one-off event basis.
Did that happen at Brazil-Argentina....
.........
yep so true, outside the stadiums and on side streets its a hive of activity and fun....from what I'm hearing from friends who went to the Bra Arg game the fanzone was a huge let down..
@raven~you'r right but still more fun awaits outside the stadium! ~ unlike here in doha. "family day" is everywhere, less place for me to go specially for asian bachelor like me. ~ racist ~ but i'm used to it.
in the EPL in the UK you can't drink inside the stadium (unless in a corp box), loads of bars in and around stadiums but NO drinking poilcy inside the stadium.
football /soccer/ fanatics are drinking beer inside stadium during the events! can't do that here in Doha, no fun! so, who will come and spent much to watch the event without fun! ~ boring.
12 World Cup stadiums in a 20 mile radius can be a logistical nightmare for the most prepared nations...let alone this place,i mean logistics isn't exactly their strong point now is it?...
Add to that,the health risk posed by exposure to 50 deg. cent. heat & 85% plus humidity on a daily basis...it's not really rocket science is it?...
It was always going to evaluated as a high risk on technical grounds. Well lets wait and see if it does better in other aspects.:)
Not long to wait now guys, and as most of us know Qatar won't get the bid for a number of reasons, but this must be the final nail in the coffin!!
@ abumash...they're going to come after you mate...& no i don't mean the authorities!...i'm referring to the "World Cup 2022-Qatar QL vigilantes"!!!...they're going to come after you & they're going to find you & God help you then!!! :)...they might take all of us "refuse to kiss ass disbelievers" down together...
Qhris,watch your back mate! LMFAO!!! :)...
Well even if qatar doesnt win the bid, it already got its world to hear about it,
i mean its much more popular today than yesterday :)
I wouldn't be surprised if I see the entire country under a bubble some day. God knows some of people here prefer to live in a bubble ;P
You can air condition statidums but you cant air condition the whole country
You're going to get bashed son, people don't like the truth here....