Qatar is one of the states situated on the Arabian Peninsula. At one time Qatar was one of the poorest nations in the Arab region known most for pearling, fishing, and some trade. After World War 1, Qatar became a British Protectorate in 1916, and the country gained independence from British rule in 1971. The country's economic fortunes changed with the discovery of its first offshore oilfield in 1960. Its current daily crude oil production stands at over 600 thousand barrels, making it one of the largest in the world. Qatar is also the world's leading exporter of natural gas with the third-largest reserves worldwide.
Doha is the largest city and capital of Qatar, known for its futuristic skyscrapers and other ultramodern architecture inspired by ancient Islamic design. Over 90% of Qatar’s population live in the metropolitan area of Doha, the capital city. Al Jazeera, one of the largest media networks in the world, is based in Doha. Most of Qatar is made up of desert, so very little can grow in it, so most foods are imported. There are no lakes or other permanent bodies of freshwater in Qatar, the country gets its drinking water from desalination plants where sea water is evaporated to remove the salt.
2022 World Cup facts about Qatar
- Qatar is the smallest nation ever to host the World Cup in terms of population and land area. Qatar has a population of only 2.6 million, which makes it the smallest nation to host an event of this magnitude.
- This will be the second time an Asian country has hosted the event, following South Korea & Japan in 2002. Qatar will be the first Arab country to host the FIFA World Cup. In any case, Qatar will be the first Arab or Muslim nation to host the full event.
- More than $220 billion is expected to be spent by Qatar on hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup. For comparison, Brazil spent $20 billion on the 2014 FIFA World Cup and Russia invested $15 billion in the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
- Organizers expect the tournament to boost Qatar’s economy by $20 billion.
- A new airport, metro, and roads were built in Qatar for the finals, as well as seven stadiums. A new stadium, that also hosts nine other matches, will host the World Cup 2022 Final, which is the centerpiece of a new city.
- A country’s economic prosperity will be boosted by the construction of infrastructure to host and accommodate visitors. Qatar has predicted that hosting the FIFA World Cup will create 1.5 million new jobs in industries including construction, real estate, and hospitality.
- Temperatures in Qatar can reach as high as 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) during the period of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. It will be the first time a World Cup will be held in fully air-conditioned stadiums.
- There will be air conditioning in all eight venues, allowing fans to enjoy a comfortable viewing experience, while players can play in good conditions. The FIFA World Cup Qatar Football Association pledges to equip stadiums with air conditioning systems that maintain temperatures below 27 degrees Celsius.
- In Qatar during the construction of the infrastructure projects for the 2022 World Cup, more than 6,500 migrant workers died, according to the British newspaper The Guardian.
- FIFA has revealed a list of the women referees for the 2022 World Cup. This will mark the first time there will be female referees at a men’s World Cup final. There are 36 match referees with France’s Stephanie Frappart, Rwanda’s Salima Mukansanga, and Japan’s Yoshimi Yamashita among them.
- Several allegations of bribery have been made between the Qatar bid committee and FIFA executives and members. Theo Zwanziger and Sepp Blatter have both said the decision to award the 2002 World Cup tournament to Qatar was a mistake.
From History of Soccer - https://historyofsoccer.info/world-cup-2022
