Qatar 2022, the cities that will host the World Cup

A small state is set to host the World Cup Championship. Its capital - Doha -  is redoing its look for the occasion:  new construction sites, stadiums under construction, the implementation of a new metro, and luxury hotels that are ready to welcome millions of fans.

There are eight stadiums in only three cities, which will host the 2022 World Cup: Al Khor, Al Wakrah and Doha. These are the venues designated to host the matches of the Qatar 2022 finals. As many as 6 of these stadiums are located in Doha -  the ultramodern and populous capital - with its 2.5 million inhabitants. It constitutes for about 60% of the population of the emirate. Let's discover more...

Nightlife in Doha

Doha is located on the east coast and directly overlooks the Persian Gulf.  It is a lively commercial hub containing galleries and shopping areas such as: Pearl-Qatar which is the luxurious and sparkling artificial island with symmetries and spirals that are interspersed with strips of water and small ports;  and the Corniche which is the boardwalk on the harbor where you can find boutiques with brand names and high fashion, five-star restaurants, and nightlife venues.

But Doha is also the heart of the country's political and administrative life because it houses the ministries' offices, various financial and commercial organizations and governmental departments, and also contains the main landing stripin Qatar, with the new port and the airport.

Pearl-Qatar. An artificial island characterized by numerous marinas that are full of yachts, high residential buildings, villas, luxury hotels and incredible shopping centers

Shopping centers, parks and skyscrapers

The city of Doha -  which combines civilization and tradition -  is known for its numerous mosques, towers and fortresses such as the Al Koot Fort and the towers of Barzan which are located in the immediate vicinity of the center. In addition to different historical sites, the Museum of Islamic art, and the Katara, you will find a brand new cultural village contaning galleries, exhibitions and spaces dedicated to events and artistic performances. In the city there are numerous green areas to play sports and for relaxation such as: the Espire Park, the Dahl Al Hamam Park, the Khairatiyat Park, the Rumailah Park, and the park of the MIA (Museum of Islamic Art) where you can jog or simply take a walk outdoors under the shade of the trees or in the pedestrian area that runs along the waters of the Gulf that bathes Doha.

It is a city characterized by strong contrasts -  the modern part that harmoniously marries the historical part as well as the traditional one.  Doha combines the traditional Souq Waqif market with a state-of-the-art infrastructure, super-luxury hotels and imposing skyscrapers. Among the highest are: the Doha Media Center, the Al Fardan Residences, the Palm Tower (two 245-meter towers), the Burj Qatar which is ultramodern but Islamic-inspired, and the Espire Tower standing at 300 meters.

The Torch. It is a torch-shaped building that hosts a revolving restaurant and panoramic city views. It is connected by an underpass which leads to the Sports Village.

A subway driven without a conductor

To date, Doha has already hosted several international sporting events, although not as global as a World Cup. In 2006 it was host to the Asian Games and in 2011 to the Asian Cup.

There is currently a lot of excitement for the next World Cup. In addition to the construction and renovation of the stadiums, match venues, and sports facilities that will host the teams' training sessions, works for the subway are underway and will be open to the public by the end of the year. It will be an avant-garde subway, naturally, with vehicles that will move very quickly without conductors which will allow tourists and fans to move easily throughout the emirate avoiding traffic during peak hours.

The entire network will initially have three lines -  red, green and gold and will stop in 37 stations. By 2026 a fourth blue line will be added for a total of 60 stations and the costs will be subsidized: there is rumor that it will only cost 50 cents for one ticket.

Doha metro. The red line of the new metro will connect the city and its suburbs from the north. Its last stop will be at Lusail where the World Cup finals stadium is located.

The stadium for the Final Match

The six stadiums in the capital are those of Al Rayyan, Al Thumama, Education City, Khalifa International, Ras Abu Aboud and, lastly, Lusail.

The last one listed will be home to the opening ceremony of the World Cup Championships (21 November 2022) and the final Match (18 December 2022). It is located about 15 kilometers north of Doha. It will be reachable via the new subway and is destined to become an important historical place for all of Qatar: it will in fact be the hub of a new metropolis called Lusail City and after the final, the infrastructure will be transformed into a space available to the community containing schools, shops, restaurants, sports facilities and health clinics.

Amazingly, at the end of the World Cup, the structure which contains 80 thousand seats, will be downsized to 40 thousand.  The seats removed from the stands will be donated to sports projects all over the world.

The Lusail stadium, which reflects the culture and heritage of Doha, will be equipped with a high energy efficiency systemand will be able to withstand the high temperatures of that period.

For the construction of the roof, for example, a cutting-edge material will be used which will allow enough light to pass in order to enable the growth of the grass, but  at the same time will guarantee the shade necessary to reduce the need for air conditioning. The design is inspired by the play of lights and shadows typical of an Arabic lantern called the fanar, but also makes reference to the intricate decorative motifs found on the bowls used throughout all of the Middle East.

Losail Stadium. It will host the opening match of the next World Championships on November 21st 2022: the first to be held during the winter.

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