Go, Go, Go, Go Qatar 2022!

"The population of Qatar is a key part"
expatriates too?
if YES...no one chance!

It will be beautiful. All schools will be closed again to avoid traffic congestion. Beer will be served at every corner shop. Go for it Qatar!

qatar no fun

qatar no like other peoples

no football party here save it for nice peoples who are much friendlies to foreign

Awww Arien lets not leave out, Johnny, Jameson and Glen (fiddich)..

social and legal climate.

Qatar needs to decide what it wants to be and someone needs to stand behind the decisions they make, instead of the schizophrenic flip-flopping on every issue.

I didn't drink the kool-aid! -- PM

"Everything in this book may be wrong." Illusions: The Adventures of The Reluctant Messiah by Richard Bach

And rising traffic fines, inflation, rents.. same ol same ol.

Too much to catch on with..... i dont think its similar to asian games.. world cup is something hard to get on here.....

way2go Wanderer!

Thank god its 12 yrs away! Dread the thought of skyrocketing rents and inflation that was ignited during the Asian games bonanza.

I totally agree PM, it couldn't have been said better.

Power to the non believers, it’s a great feeling to have and hold.

good luck...

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Quality dude! Quality!

/-a-t-/ wanderer,you obviously have Qatar's best interests /-a-t-/ heart & are optimistic about Qatar's chances which is why i'm guessing you posted this,so good on you for that...but let's be realistic here,the ONLY way these clowns are going to host it is by wielding their immense financial clout & buying off the whole of FIFA's top brass & even that seems highly unlikely as the global repurcussions of that buyout will not make it worth it for those guys to accept that money...otherwise,as my fellow QL'ers have rightly pointed out above,how does this "family only"/"no alcohol"/"cover every single body part"/"no PDA"/"non-existant public transport"/"pathetic road network"/"no budget/backpacker facilities or accomodation"/(& the list goes on) town realistically expect to host what is quite correctly the world's biggest party???...

/-a-t-/ sutcliffemd, i have one mate...grow up as a capital city & a country & get their basics in place,like an actual road network,a public transport system that's actually useful to the general public,laws that are more in keeping with the rest of the real world rather than the stone age ones they currently have in place...THEN bid for all these global scale events,until then, maybe leave it to the cities/countries who've had,oh i don't know,like 5-6 decades to perfect the above?...power solely from wealth can never be a substitute for knowledge & experience,but who's to tell that to these clowns eh?...

I think Baghdad has a better chance.

the discussion and complaints are by all means valid, but even IF they achieve all those things, my question is: what on earth can they do about the heat?
- world's largest umbrellas promoting passive cooling?
- build a tunnel to draw cool air from somewhere (some mountain range like the Elburz mountains?) and spread it around the whole city?
- hypnotise all incoming and local residents into believing it is only 20c?
- have a giant water spraying fan?
- issue all athletes personal ac units? (in the sense of new regulations as necessary uniforms)

I like problem solving, bu due to my environmental interests, i really wonder if there could be an elegant solution to all this? Or will it need just a vulgar and unsustainable amount of money?

/-a-t-/ Garadene - you are right of course - I was trying to think of a ridiculously small country to make the point and I chose badly!!!! Think Andorra, Lichtenchtein ?? the vatican, Narnia.....the point Im making which I dont think is lost on you that whoever throws their hat into the ring as a candidate is almost going to be ahead of Qatar right from the word go.........seriously, the bid has less chance than the olympic bid which was, at best, ridulously optimistic. But hey, lets not be overly pessimistic - let us wait until millions have been spent on the bid and then Qatar is binned in the first round of assessment - then the nationals can all be made to feel like pieces of cheese - honestly, they do set themselves up for a fall!!!

It was a clear injustice on the part of the International Olympic Committee to choose other cities, like Rio de Janeiro, over Doha for the 2016 Games, despite us scoring significantly better than them.

Don't start me on that. Chairboy, it was not wistful thinking from the Qataris. They knew what they were talking about. But what's done is done. I just hope FIFA has more sense than the IOC and are not governed by a set of preconceived notions when they hear the word Middle East...

They aren't basing their decision on 13 years time, they are basing their decision on right now, as they don't have a time machine. And right now, there is noway they will host a World Cup in Doha unless they want it to be the biggest failure in history.

public transport and accommodation are definitely big issues, but what about the heat? Although many disciplines can take place inside a stadium, which could potentially be air conditioned, there are still a significant number which don't. So, how will the heat be dealt with?

In many coutries (notably australia and england), cricket is viewed as an excuse to drink and do nothing. People go to the ground armed with heavy eskys full of booze.
However, in the subcontinent the alcohol factor is largely missing. Hero-Honda and Sahara ads dominate instead of Fosters and VB .
But who's to say that cricket is less fun to watch in India, Pakistan or Srilanka compared to in Australia or England.

My point is, alcohol or no alcohol is a cultural thing and has no bearing at all with the fun of the game.

Will lack of opportunity to drink in the open (I'm not talking about drinking in private) really stop people from coming to support their national teams? Don't think so.

Moreover, maybe the game will be much more enjoyable without those bunch of drunken hooligans roaming the street inciting trouble.......

Being a huge Football fan, supporting my Fav team in the WC is on my ‘100 things to do before I die list’. Hence I would be extremely happy if Qatar hosts the WC. Imagine, no accommodation costs, no travel costs… My only cost would be tickets to watch the matches. But then again, should a country who never even qualified for a single WC be allowed to host the biggest tournament in the world.(Assuming they don’t qualify for the 2014 & 2018 games) And Would I still want to be in Doha Qatar in 2022? No way in hell!!! Plus the host country are always favored (South Korea 2002 ,England 1966, France 1998,Germany 2006 etc etc) and I would not like to see Qatar reach the semi’s/finals at the cost of better teams.

If Qatar get to host the 2022 world cup it will be the biggest sign of corruption in FIFA. It just doesn't matchup in any criteria with the rest. Having said that I personally would love to see the world cup in Qatar.

"Everyone should believe in something, I believe I will have another drink!!!."

same kind of ad is on Ramada hotel.
i felt so sad on those guys who paste these poster on the Ramada Hotel, i think those guys took total 2 days and night to paste on that wall of Ramada.

2022...i am sure i may not here. days are so so so so far.
until then, those are children now becomes adults-those are adults may married and have children-those are having children may be thinking how can i save my salary to further childrens higher studies or their marriage....goes on.......
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When others are bad, you are angry. When you are bad, you are sad.
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Greeker yes there is Alcohol in Qatar now.
But Qatar is a Muslim country and the fact remains that the majority of Qataris are against alcohol in Qatar. When they start voting, which according to the hopefuls will be soon, you don't need to be a genius to predict that will campaign against alcohol in the country and were not talking about just the zany religious demography, I'm referring to the balanced moderate Qatari's whom when given that right will be coming out of the woodwork.
So don't be so sure ascertaining "who says it will not be MUCH MORE freely available in 13 years" in time for the Big Party.
It has nothing to do with mentalities changing, it's their religion and their country and just as many have expressed that Muslims must assimilate and adopt the culture of the Western countries they have chosen to call home, wouldn't you think it's wise and fair to extend the same pragmatism and respect you expect from them in your home, knowing that although a country can develop in many ways there is something non-negotiable regarding the Qatari's creed and religion and expect the Qatari populous to exchange a religion they hold dear for the sake of their guests.
Instead why don't you adopt newer aspirations involving Qatar. More affable ones by approaching this need for alcohol with measured doses of realism, forbearance & gallant courtliness in order to truly embrace the sprit of Qatar.
Am I to understand from the opinions stated above that the concept of not having a beer fuelled World Cup Big Party without being armed with mood altering spirits is the only norms according to their lifestyle? That in every event leads to drunken hooliganism, please don't come back at me with this doesn't apply to all drinkers. But what does apply to all drinkers is this simple question.
Why not empower your lives with no dependency on Alcohol, is the outcome so bleak of living in an untainted un-induced form of happiness so alien. Then perhaps it's a psychological problem in need of anti depressants if one cannot function without inducing good moods?
Think about it if teetotalers can rev up the spirit for a world cup game then aren't you all entightled to the same level of independence & control of your bodies?
Not only is non dependency on spirits to uplift questionable moods a liberating feeling It's a great state of existence to ones health and your pocket books as well.
As for the Government, they really should reassess the need to cater to the alcohol dependant fans & tourists because ultimately they are doing them a disservice. Why not solve the many other tribulations they often write about instead of numbing their senses. Since living in Qatar a lot of people are drinking more heavily than they were back home.
If, off course the introduction of more alcohol is a business and source of economy for the duration of the World Cup in Qatar, then it's still isn't worth it because it won't come anywhere near the cost of hosting the event with the air-conditioned stadium and the 'surprises'
Pragmatism is a good thing, as the writers wrote above Qatar should leave the world cup to those who can host it on every level.

Greeker one more things you also wrote "2016 ...
It was a clear injustice on the part of the International Olympic Committee to choose other cities, like Rio de Janeiro, over Doha for the 2016 Games, despite us scoring significantly better than them."

Who is 'us'?

NUCLEAR WEAPONS: IF AMERICA AND ISRAEL CAN HAVE THEM - THEN SO SHOULD IRAN.

/-a-t-/ Greeker,your optimism is admirable,however as PM & Dali have correctly pointed out,it's about the attitude of the locals,who think money can buy anything...well they're wrong about that & it will be proven for sure when the bids are decided...speaking of injustice,India & Qatar were final contenders for the last Asian games,however the points tally had India with a clear margin over Qatar yet Qatar won the bid by obviously giving whoever concerned a big fat cheque & of course,the poor Asians accepted it & handed them the games,which incidentally,were the least attended games in the history of the Asian games & when asked about the low attendance & the resulting low returns from ticket sales,a certain member of the royal family was quoted in the press as saying that even if there wasn't a single spectator for the games,they don't care as they only wanted to prove a point that Qatar can host an event of this magnitude...so as i mentioned earlier,these guys aren't interested in the beauty of the game or people coming together from all over the world or anything of the sort,they just want to prove a point that their immense wealth can buy them anything & a country with such an attitude & lack of the spirit of the game has no right to even bid for any global sporting events,let alone actually host it...also as somebody correctly pointed out,should a country that has never ONCE got past the qualifying stages for the world cup be eligible to host the games?...as for the alcohol part of it,does having a few beers to while enjoying the game automatically have to translate to binge drinking & hooliganism?...completely untrue,the point is to be able to enjoy a pint or two while enjoying the game,sure there will be the fringe that consumes in excess & causes a public nuisance but one can see that fringe anywhere in the world where alcohol is available,including here...anyone(like myself) who's been to Sharazad /-a-t-/ the ramada to catch a big game will vouch for the fact that they've seen the small bunch of locals who get loud & act funny after a couple of beers but they're just that,a fringe,a small % of the total number of people in there,the rest enjoy the game as much as they enjoy their pints & go home without bothering anyone...for an event of this scale,it's ridiculous to point /-a-t-/ the small % of likely binge drinkers/hooligans/trouble makers & claim that's what allowing alcohol will result in...They've actually banned alcohol /-a-t-/ public events which is a huge step backwards & you're saying who's to say things won't change in 13 years,you're right,they probably will,for the worse & i for one,God willing hope to get the hell out of here by then...
/-a-t-/ oasiscars,you're right mate,the key words though are "for some people",absolutely right,for a very small % of people that i mentioned above,the event would be an excuse to get piss drunk & cause a nuisance,for the rest of us,it's about enjoying a few pints of chilled beer while we watch & enjoy the game but if alcohol is banned /-a-t-/ public events & in the impossibility that these guys actually win the bid,you & me won't be able to enjoy those few pints while watching the game & why should you & me be denied that right due to someone else's point of view?,this is a global event NOT a middleeastern one right?...i'm not going to be 'loyal' & say i support the bid when they quite clearly don't deserve it,i work here & work very hard & provide my services to the people of this country instead of doing the same for my own people back home,THAT is my way of being loyal,sure i get paid but i'm working hard to earn that pay just like everyone else here & elsewhere in the world for that matter...sure,the money is better here than my home country & it's tax-free but there are many many things money can't buy my friend & those things i can get back home but not here for ANY amount of money...the same applies to this bid mate,a country should be worthy & eligible to host the World Cup NOT just some country with immense wealth trying to prove a point,let them stick to UN conferences & the gymnastics world cup for that,don't mess with the real thing...

Well said PM
Socially Qatar seems a little confused in its objectives...

A week ago dress code was tightened up (no mini-skirts)
and no alcohol to be served at beach parties

Now a world cup bid???

Qatar must be the laughing stock on the world football stage to think they have a chance hosting this event. I was lucky enough to be in Germany in 2006 and I couldn't think of a worse place on the planet than to hold it in this dump! Qatar can't even build a decent roading network, public transportation network or any decent infrastructure, and they honestly think they are capable of hosting a World Cup. Fifa must love it that these clowns turn up with their bid application fee which is millions of US$, thanks for the donation guys, fat chance you'll be seriously considered but thanks for the money!! I cannot in all honesty think of one good reason why the world cup would ever come here, or to the middle east for that matter!

think that they have a snowball's chance in hell of getting the World Cup here. Heat; Islamic mores; restrictions on wardrobe, drinking, genders interacting; no economical accomodation for tourists; poor infrastructure -- take your pick on which one would be a deal breaker.

And re: the whole alcohol issue - as gadarene pointed out, most expatriates who DO drink do so moderately and without incident.
And to borrow some words from another: "I don't understand the purpose of the line 'I don't need to drink to have fun.' Great, no one does. But why start a fire with flint and sticks when they've invented the lighter? "

"Marriage is a wonderful institution...but who wants to live in an institution?" -- Groucho Marx

FIFA and Sepp Twatter are corrupt money grabbing Fagins, but even they wouldn't stoop so low as to ruin a world-cup by hosting it here... would they

beso, don't you get it? Because you're supposed to be impressed when insightful displays of wealth are making headlines...Thats supposed to be Your entertainment and you're supposed to fawn, clap & sing songs of praise then fall facedown in roadwork ditch on the way home.
Abulla32, I don't know would they?

NUCLEAR WEAPONS: IF AMERICA AND ISRAEL CAN HAVE THEM - THEN SO SHOULD IRAN.

FIFA is corrupt they take money from small country for president pocket

maybe qatar give them lots of money and they give football

very sad day for football

sad day for progress

aviduser..did you edit your post? lol I was just about to thank you for the kind words. Thanks anyway :)

NUCLEAR WEAPONS: IF AMERICA AND ISRAEL CAN HAVE THEM - THEN SO SHOULD IRAN.

or unable to back up what the decision makers want to be with actions that will be enforced and can withstand people's complaints. I for one, don't understand why they want to be ALL things. Why not just be what they are and do it well: a small, socially conservative Islamic country, with vast wealth and a high standard of living among the citizenry. Why do they need to add another film festival to the region but require censorship when there are 2 in the UAE that do not. Why do they need to hold the Olympics here, when there are only a negligible number of true Qatari athletes? Why hold the World Cup here when their own soccer team is not only comprised of non-Qataris but also doesn't have a strong program? Why hold Beach parties when you don't want men and women to mix; you don't approve of alcohol; and some don't even approve of music or dancing?

WHY? WHY? WHY? Why doesn't Qatar figure out what it wants to be and then stand behind their decisions?

I didn't drink the kool-aid! -- PM

PM, your point - a small, socially conservative Islamic country, with vast wealth and a high standard among the citizenry- is extremely well said.
As for why? The answer is simply because wanting something is one thing, achieving it is another, the indeterminate 'in between area' is risky & wisdom (free from the 'ME' and the 'I') is crucial to realize when to stop.
You have a beautiful Christian prayer that says
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
And wisdom to know the difference.
If only Wisdom could be bought, but Alas it can't. Therefore it maybe saner sticking with growing a collection porous Hermes birkins or yachts or even Marie osmond dolls, who cares! If only just to spare the Arab identity the stigma attached to appearing indecisive in front of their people or the world stage.

NUCLEAR WEAPONS: IF AMERICA AND ISRAEL CAN HAVE THEM - THEN SO SHOULD IRAN.

You've hit the point aviduser and some of us know the answer but cannot post it....

The roads are a disgrace. a 5 billion gas plant can be completed in 3 years but that last little bit outside city center is still not done... someone needs to start asking serious questions rather than sweeping it all under the rather large (persian) carpet...

Hello everyone, sorry for being late with the reply. As the replies to my post were long, I needed to have some time before I made replies. I didn’t want the replies to be ambiguous. Anyways.

Sutcliffe and Cyberentity, Qatar has already approved plans for a Doha metro public transport system sometime back. I had read about it somewhere and just read the internet. Maybe you could find some details in here. http://www.skyscrape...

PM, thank you so much for branding me as ‘delusional’. I’m in fact just trying to see the positives of a country to which I owe my bread and butter. I personally believe that there’s no point in cribbing about a country AND staying there to earn a living. The day I start hating Qatar, I’ll leave. I’ve made up my mind on that.
Like you so rightly pointed out, there are people who are not comfortable with the level of ‘opening up’ this country is doing. All I have to say is “hey, no one’s perfect!”. And since Rome wasn’t built in a day, NEITHER will Doha be. It’s only still learning to stand on its two feet as a developed society. Try to stop being so critical about everything happening here. They may be far from perfect, but they’re reaching there.

Dali, I like your comments. They may be long, but they are expressive and explains in detail to people who are not quite sharp (like me) and needs to read them twice before comprehending.
You said a majority of Qataris are against alcohol. Is that assumption based on personal experiences, a survey, or just a ‘sweeping statement’? I’m asking because I’ve come across several locals, who while they don’t drink themselves, have no problems mingling with people who do. Some of them do come from traditional families. But they’re better educated and know how things work. With the kind of money Qatar is spending for Western education here, I’m sure the culture would have changed significantly in 13 years.
(As I came to the later part of your argument, I felt you were trying to say that alcohol isn’t necessary at all. Well, I’ll hold my reservations on that. It does have a part to play which makes a World Cup a World Cup. All I’m saying is that wouldn’t be the main problem affecting Qatar’s bid).
And pardon me about the ‘us’ usage. Since I’m a sports journalist, I’d felt very attached to the Doha bid. I was positively pissed when Doha was overlooked over lesser bid files. I still cannot see it as ‘their’ bid. For me, it always was and still is ‘my’ bid and hence injustice done to ‘us’.

Gadarene, on the outset, I would request you to break your sentences into paragraphs so that it is easier on the eye. I often got lost in that long-winding answer of yours. Don’t get me wrong, I like them (my this answer would prove that), but it’d be much easier if it was not so cluttered.
As to your argument, I think you’ve got your facts wrong. New Delhi, India, was eliminated after the FIRST round, with just two votes. The major competition was between Malaysia and Qatar. Qatar got 22 votes (out of 41). OCA rules state that a country getting more than half the votes will be the winners. Malaysia felt they were wronged, but they produced no evidence to support claims of ‘fat cheques’ being exchanged.
As to the attendance of the Games itself, I agree there was a lot left to be desired. And you think the authorities are ignorant about that fact? Then think again. It was an eye-opener for the organisers. They’re trying to bring in the crowd, but the absence of a genuine sports culture has failed them. But they’re trying… the ASPIRE Academy and the Qatar Olympic Committee’s Schools Olympic Programme are all part of it. The past may not have been bright, but the future does indeed look promising. So the next high-profile event (like the 2022 WC) may not be necessarily a disaster as you think it might be.
And I STRONGLY disagree with you for saying that they feel ‘money can buy anything’. If anything at all, they’re learning that money CANNOT buy everything. Don’t you think that’s the reason why they’re emphasising on sports and education, two of the most visible and common parameters for assessing a society’s development? I’m saying that you’re seeing the tree, but not the forest. They are building a sports culture from scratch. You may not see it happening overnight, but a few years could make a world of difference…

Aviduser, the AC Milan game was here and I think it was pretty well-managed, no? And this game is at the Khalifa Stadium and that may pose a challenge. But then they managed several other big events, like the Asian Games opening and closing ceremonies itself, the Emir’s Cup and a few others. Sure, it may be a more difficult event, but I sincerely feel you’re overreacting about this going to be a publicity nightmare. I don’t believe that. I’ll believe it when I see it, while reporting the match.
AND Aviduser, I wish you’d be more careful about what you write. You’ve got your facts wrong and accuse the ‘England vs Brazil game’ as a bone thrown by FIFA to this country.
If that was intended to be a joke, it was deeply offending. If it was not, then I’ll seriously ask you to consider a bit more before you write. There are people, including me, who respect you for your intelligent writing. Please don’t let such ‘off the cuff’ remarks change that. This article will show that you may have been mistaken…
http://www.dailymail...

Aviduser, I do agree that housing shortage will be a problem. And I cannot think of anything at present that could take care of the problem. But at the same time, I also feel its not impossible. The authorities will have to think up of unique ways. But they will, for sure. I’m at least optimistic.

Sorry for the long reply, guys. I shall retire for the night. I’ll read the replies tomorrow and possibly post later. Once again, sorry for the rant.

don't hate Qatar. Nor do I feel the need to pretend that things are something they are not because I work here. I don't know about you but I WORK for my salary so do not look at this as something I am undeserving of and therefore need to polish anyone's apples. I have always been respected by the Qataris I know for being honest with them and not sucking up to them. Why should I be any different to an anonymous audience on QL?

Why on earth do you find speaking the truth being undeservedly "critical"?

I didn't drink the kool-aid! -- PM

Your point will be lost on Greeker. :-)

I didn't drink the kool-aid! -- PM

Magic Dragon, Rome was not built by Romans, but largely by slave labour. Plenty of which, I reckon, was from Asia. Ah, some things just never change.

Rome (the city) was not built by Asians at all.

I didn't drink the kool-aid! -- PM

I didn't drink the kool-aid! -- PM

The emperor Titus brought 20,000 Jewish slaves to Rome, slaves used to bulid the Roman Coliseum. Proof of this lies in the Arch of Titus, which depicts a menorah as part of the bounty from Jerusalem. To this day, the Talmud forbids Jews from walking under the Arch..

That's 750 years after Rome was founded and built, drac.