The President of the Republic of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has assured full support to Qatar for a successful hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. This was conveyed by the Turkish President to the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) Secretary General Hassan al-Thawadi in Ankara on Tuesday.
The two sides also agreed to enhance co-operation and business opportunities ahead of the first World Cup in
the region.
The SC Secretary General’s visit marked the start of a trade delegation that included members of the SC and Qatari stakeholders from Ashgahl, Qatar Rail, Kahramaa and the Qatar Tourism Authority.
Further meetings in the Turkish capital were held by the Qatari delegation with the Turkish Minister of Youth and Sports, Akif Çagatay K?l?ç and Turkish companies from various sectors. The high-level meetings took place in the Turkish capital during a visit aimed at bolstering co-operation and business opportunities on both sides as Qatar advances in preparations to host the World Cup.
“We had a very eventful first day of the visit to Turkey, where we were able to understand that the Turkish Ministry of Youth and Sport has a lot of experience in building sports facilities, and a deep understanding of the requirements of international sport bodies such as FIFA and UEFA.
“We look forward to learning from their operational experience, whether in the area of security, catering or related fields, and are now looking ahead to the stadium tour in Istanbul to see one of their latest stadiums,” SC Assistant Secretary Nasser al-Khater said.
The meetings also offered the SC the chance to meet with specific companies involved in different fields related to stadium construction.
“I was impressed with the fact that the Turkish Ministry of Youth and Sport is building 29 stadiums simultaneously with capacities of between 10,000-40,000 spectators,” said Engineer Hilal al-Kuwari, SC Chairman–Technical Delivery Office. “Turkish companies have had a lot of success in Qatar on infrastructure projects, and there are a lot of further opportunities available for them.”
In addition, a presentation was given in Ankara to six major Turkish companies from various sectors including the construction sector, giving an overview of the specific opportunities available to work on the different projects in Qatar in the coming years.
Following the first stop of the trade delegation in Ankara, the following days include meetings with the Turkish Football Federation in Istanbul, and a tour of the Istanbul Basaksehir stadium.