FIFA World Cup 2022: Qatar gears up to ferry estimated 1.2 million fans
- The most-expensive FIFA World Cup ever is also one of the biggest ever with mammoth plans to welcome stars and fans.
The FIFA World Cup 2022 is all set to kick off from November 20 with hosts Qatar taking on Ecuador in the opener. The football world cup, which takes place once every four years, is the most-watched sporting event across the globe and draws millions of fans to the host country or countries. But while the action is on the pitch, it can be a huge challenge to organize a sports event on such a humungous scale and transportation is always one major area of focus. Qatar says it is ready.
An estimated 1.2 million football fans from across the world are expected to land in Qatar for the tournament. Organizers say around 3,000 new public transport buses have been brought in for the event, in addition to the 1,000 which were already present. Of the total 4,000 buses, 700 are powered by battery. These buses would be primarily responsible to ferry fans from various locations to the eight stadiums that are hosting the 64 matches to pick a champion.
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What is Hayya card and how is it helpful?
If you are planning to enter Qatar during the time of the World Cup being played, and even if you aren't attending any of the matches, you would need a Hayya card. A Hayya card is required if you are entering Qatar between November 1 and January 23, as per Associated Press. One can get a Hayya card for $27 ( ₹2,200) and it would allow multiple entry for 90 days with access to United Arab Emirates and Oman.
There is special advantage for fans who have valid tickets for a match or matches and display a Hayya card. Transport on public buses, trams and metro is free for such persons but only on match days.
Other options for transport in Qatar for World Cup
Ride-hailing options like Uber and Careem are available and their respective mobile applications can be downloaded from iOS and Android stores. There are also a number of taxi operators whose services can be availed.
FIFA World Cup 2022: Quick facts
This year's world cup is the first-ever to be held in a Muslim nation. Qatar is expecting around 1.2 million fans with 1,300 flights expected to land in the country each day. At an estimated $220 billion, it is also the most expensive FIFA World Cup. This is 60 times the around $3.5 billion South Africa spent in hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
