Qatar’s preparations for the 2022 FIFA World Cup are on track and the country’s groundbreaking legacy work is progressing well, according to one of the global governing body’s top officials.
Speaking at the World Stadium Congress in Doha, Jurgen Muller, FIFA’s head of planning and infrastructure, praised the work being carried out by the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC).
“Qatar’s infrastructure and stadium preparation is well on track,” he told www.sc.qa on the sidelines of the event.“We are very happy with the preparations.”
“Everybody knows it’s not only towards 2022; they are working towards longer plans for 2030, so this step is only one step in the bigger picture.
“This World Cup is adapted to their overall time planning and we believe it will be an outstanding tournament,” Muller added.
FIFA and the SC were among a range of global stadium industry leaders presenting at the World Stadium Congress in Doha – to which
the SC is also a delivery partner.
Qatar’s rapid progress ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup was top of the agenda during the conference on Tuesday, but Muller also pointed out that the country had developed an exemplary approach to legacy planning for the tournament from the earliest stage.
“Qatar’s legacy planning was very clear to see from the bidding stage,” he said.“They showed that they do not need such large capacities post-tournament and proposed modular elements to stadia, which is an excellent concept.
There is already demand to the Supreme Committee for the demountable parts of their stadiums, so it is a very good approach.”
Muller said the tournament in Qatar would employ the latest technology and give fans a futuristic match-day experience.“Qatar has always proven that they strive for excellent quality and state-of-the-art technology, and I think we can expect in 2022 an exciting World Cup with very high levels of services and fan
engagement.”
Also speaking at the congress in the opening session was Othman Zarzour, the SC’s Competition Venues deputy executive director, to give a progress update to the delegates and media in attendance.
“The SC is currently working on eight stadiums for the tournament, and we have launched the designs of five stadiums.
We are planning to launch the designs of the remaining three within this year,” Zarzour said.
“By the end of this year the Khalifa International Stadium will be the first proposed host venue to complete major construction, and will be among the first stadiums in the world to provide field lighting using LED technology.
All of these projects will leave a lasting legacy for Qatar and the region for years to come,” the SC official added.