HRH Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein of Jordan has announced that he will stand for the presidency of FIFA, in a bid that could bring Sepp Blatter’s 17 year reign to an end.

“This was not an easy decision,” Prince Ali said in a statement. 

“It came after careful consideration and many discussions with respected FIFA colleagues over the last few months.”

His decision comes soon after the culmination of FIFA’s investigations into allegations of corruption in its bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, which failed to identify any culpable wrongdoing and led to the resignation of Michael Garcia, the lawyer hired by FIFA to investigate the allegations. 

Prince Ali has pledged to run a positive campaign and to steer FIFA away from the controversies of recent years.  “The message I heard, over and over, was that it is time for a change. 

“It is time to shift the focus away from administrative controversy and back to sport.”

Prince Ali became vice president of FIFA in 2011. He is also president of the Jordan Football Association and the West Asia Football Federation, which he founded in 2001. 

If elected, Prince Ali would be the first FIFA president from the Asia region and only the second from outside Europe, after Brazil’s Joao Havelange.

At just 39 years old, Prince Ali is a contrasting candidate to FIFA’s 79 year old candidate Sepp Blatter, who announced in September 2014 that he would run for a fifth term. 

At Soccerex Global Convention in September, Prince Ali spoke out in favour of time limits for presidential terms 

Blatter is a formidable opponent who has weathered many a storm without any apparent loss to his power or personal reputation. 

The only other candidate in the race is Jerome Champagne of France, who also announced he would stand in September 2014. 

The deadline for presidential candidates to come forward is the 29th January. All candidates must be nominated by five FIFA members, of which there are 209. 

The election takes place by secret ballot on May 29th.

The power rental market in Qatar is set to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 23.3 per cent until 2020, according to research by 6Wresearch.

“Upcoming FIFA World Cup 2022, rising public and private infrastructure, construction of hotels and stadiums and increasing flow of investments in the country are exhibited to fuel the growth of Qatar’s power rental market,” the researchers said.

The majority of this growth will be accounted for by diesel gensets, but environmental concerns and the local abundance of natural gas will also drive growth in non-diesel gensets. Gas generators are expected to rise in prominence. 

International suppliers such as Aggreko, RSS, JTC, Byrne Investments, Hertz are cited as key players in the Qatar power rental market, alongside domestic players such as Qatar Building Co., Al Reyami and Qatar Industrial Equipment.

American multinational Cat Entertainment Services is another big player in major event power generation with the potential to tap into the growing market in Qatar.

More than US$200bn is being invested in infrastructure developments in the run up to the 2022 FIFA World Cup. 

The temporary power supply industry is in huge demand on projects such as Lusail City, the Doha Metro Rail, construction of expressways, hotels and other facilities, as well as nine new stadiums and major renovations to three existing stadiums. 

The influential ExCo member Moya Dodd, told HOST CITY that FIFA needs to make its host city election process more transparent by removing the secrecy around voting.

And in the wake of Sepp Blatter’s confirmation that he will stand for a fifth term as FIFA president, more executive committee members have publicly backed suggestions that limits should be imposed on terms of office. 

Asked by HOST CITY at Soccerex Global Convention whether increasing the number of people with the right to vote would improve perceptions of FIFA, Dodd said “The more important measure would be to make voting open. 

“If people are answerable for how they voted, it’s visible, it’s clear who they supported, then there’s no suggestion that there are multiple promises for a single vote. I think it would do a lot to rid the process of those sort of suspicions, if it was open voting.”

FIFA’s 27 executive committee members currently have the right to vote on the issues that govern world football. Just 22 people were eligible to cast votes for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups, as compared to the 94 IOC members that elected the host city of the 2020 Olympic Games. 

Another concern is that football’s world leaders are able to govern for an indefinite length of time. On Monday, FIFA’s 78-year old president Sepp Blatter confirmed in a video presentation to Soccerex Global Convention that he would stand for a historic fifth term. 

On the same day, FIFA Vice President Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein told the press that he supports time limits on terms of office – while stressing that Blatter has every right to stand again under the current rules. 

“The process of reform within FIFA needs to continue and eventually we should look at instigating term limits and maybe not just for the FIFA president but also for executive committee members as well, including myself,” Prince Ali said.

Speaking at Soccerex on Tuesday, Moya Dodd, who is vice president of the Asian Football Confederation as well as a FIFA ExCo member, said “In Asia we have a limit on age and terms. I think term limits are healthy. Age limits are discriminatory and not the best way to ensure turnover anyway.”

Jim Boyce, who at 70 is eight years younger than Sepp Blatter, said “I am in favour of an age limit and a time limit. I honestly feel that if someone has three terms – that’s 12 years – or an age of 75, then they have made a good contribution and it’s time for someone else to contribute.”

As well as the issues of age and tenure, FIFA is tackling a gender imbalance – a drive that began with Dodd’s appointment last year.

“It’s inevitable that more women become involved in the game and will be a strong part of the management of sporting enterprises,” said Dodd. 

Uefa president Michel Platini has decided not to stand against Sepp Blatter and it is not clear who might challenge Sepp Blatter to the presidency. Michele D’Hooghe, FIFA ExCo Member, told delegates at Soccerex “Michel Platini gave a very positive message to the last meeting of the presidential general secretaries of FIFA in Monaco at end of August. He didn’t say ‘I don’t go for FIFA’; he said ‘I choose for UEFA’."

To find out more about potential changes to bidding procedures for major events including the FIFA World Cup, register for HOST CITY: BID TO WIN, which takes place in London on 28th October 2014

Qatar is looking forward to welcoming in the world in 2022 but international football fans must return this hospitality by respecting the culture of the host nation, a senior organiser told HOST CITY magazine.

“2022 will be about bringing people together and if people give us a chance, we will prove this will be the World Cup that will change their hearts and minds,” said Yasir Al-Jamal, deputy general secretary of the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy.

“Part of our culture has always been about showing people our hospitality. As a country we will be proud to do that and as a region with so much to offer, we will be proud to welcome the world.”

Drinking alcohol will be permitted during the World Cup but public displays of affection will be deemed inappropriate.

“Alcohol or public displays of affection are not part of our culture; however, hospitality most certainly is. In recognizing that, alcohol is available in Qatar and fans will be able to have a drink at the 2022 FIFA World Cup,” said Al-Jamal.

“Everyone has their beliefs and cultures. We welcome and respect that. All we ask is that other people do the same for us.”

In the exclusive interview, Al-Jamal points out that one of Qatar’s primary motivations in hosting the World Cup is to break down preconceptions about the Middle East. 

“We always saw the tournament as the opportunity to build bridges between East and West,” he said.

“So often this part of the world is misunderstood. To utilise the power of football to alter people’s perceptions of the Middle East is something to be proud of.”

In the interview, Al-Jamal also discussed the issues of venue sustainability and temperature control. 

To read the full interview with Al-Jamal and much more unique, exclusive content, register to receive the next issue of HOST CITY magazine.  

Plans for the eagerly anticipated Indian Super League (ISL) and the 2017 U17 FIFA World Cup will be officially presented to the global football industry at the Soccerex Global Convention, held in Manchester on 6-10 September, after the confirmation that a senior Indian delegation will be attending.

The session will begin with Kushal Das, General Secretary of the All India Football Federation, delivering a standalone keynote speech, outlining the explosion of the game in India. 

The panel, moderated by Sukhvinder Singh, will see I-League CEO Sunando Dhar, STAR Sports India President Nitin Kukreja, Delhi Dynamos Owner Sameer Manchanda, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry Director Rajpal Singh and DSK Group Executive Director Shirish Kulkarni  presenting the latest developments behind the two projects and the multiple business opportunities associated within Indian football, culminating in the release of the combined FICCI-AIFF-Libero Sports knowledge report. 

Managed by IMG-Reliance, the ISL has attracted investment from India’s biggest companies and celebrities, with the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, DEN Network, PVP, John Abraham and Ranbir Kapoor becoming team owners, as well as partnerships with leading European giants such as Atlético Madrid and AFC Fiorentina.  

The 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup will be the first global football tournament hosted by “football’s sleeping giant” and will play a crucial role in developing youth football in India. With FIFA earmarking a potential  US$38m investment for the tournament, there are numerous business opportunities for suppliers from across the football spectrum, to engage with the key decision makers from the AIFF to learn about the multiple commercial opportunities the tournament will create. 

Das and the Indian delegation join a growing list of international industry leaders who will be speaking at the Global Convention including FIFA President Joseph Blatter, four-time Olympic gold medallist Michael Johnson, MLS Commissioner Don Garber, FIFA Vice-President Jim Boyce, La Liga President Javier Tebas, RFU CEO Ian Ritchie and England and Manchester United legend Sir Bobby Charlton. 

The Convention kicks off with the Football Festival on 6-7 September, with the Conference starting on Monday 8 September. A major international exhibition and a programme of networking and social events complete the schedule for this world leading football business event.

Source: Soccerex. For more information about Soccerex please visit http://www.soccerex.com/global // call +44 (0)20 8987 5522 // email enquiry@soccerex.com

The Emir of Qatar has approved the country’s biggest ever national budget, with expenditure on infrastructure scheduled to rise faster this year. 

An unprecedented total annual expenditure of US$60bn, based on projected national revenues of US$62bn, was endorsed on Sunday by Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. The spending plan for the 2014-2015 fiscal year is up 3.7 per cent on the previous year. 

The increase in expenditure is accounted for by a major ramp-up of infrastructure projects prioritised for national development, which include venues for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The Minister of Finance, His Excellency Ali Sharif Al Emadi, announced that US$24bn has been allocated for key projects. This figure, 16 per cent higher than the US$20bn set aside for such works in the previous fiscal year, represents a major step change in the pace of infrastructure work.

Al Emadi also stated that spending on key projects would reach US$182.35bn over the next five years.

The investment is necessary to start construction of new stadiums for the 2022 World Cup, with work set to begin on stadiums in Al Khor, Al Rayyan, Al Whakra, Khalifa and Lusail. 

Other areas of development include education, health and transportation. Qatar’s new airport was originally due to open in December 2012 but is not expected to start operating until the middle of 2014. 

The presidents of 12 national football associations have so far confirmed their attendance at the Soccerex Asian Forum, which takes place on 13-14 May on the banks of the Dead Sea in Jordan. 

These officials are the ultimate decision makers for football in major middle eastern, Asian and western markets. And with FIFA introducing new regulations on the selection of host cities for future world cups, they administrators will also have a say in some of the biggest decisions in world football. 

Leading the list of FA presidents will be HRH Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein, (Jordan), Sunil Gulati, (USA), H.E. Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, (Qatar) and Chung Mong-gyu, (Korea), alongside FA presidents from the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Palestine, Yemen, Lebanon, Kyrgyz Republic, Papua New Guinea and the Honorary President for Norway. According to Soccerex, many more are expected to confirm shortly. 

“The quality and quantity of the attendees singing up for the Forum is truly outstanding. As the key decision makers behind commercial and development projects for their own FAs as well as international matters such as future World Cup host selection, these presidents are amongst the most important footballing administrators on the planet,” said Duncan Revie, CEO of Soccerex.

Other senior representatives from Asia attending include AFC Vice-President and Football Federation Board Member Moya Dodd, All-India Football Federation General Secretary Kushal Das and Singapore FA General Secretary Winston Lee, as well as their counterparts from Turkmenistan and Bangladesh. 

Other premier footballing institutions represented include FIFA, the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, The FA (UK), La Liga, Real Madrid, Liverpool, Manchester United, Barcelona, the Japan Football Association and Galatasaray. 

Organised in partnership with the Asian Football Development Project (AFDP), the Forum is a unique platform for businesses looking to expand their network and to present themselves to these industry leaders. 

Chaired by HRH Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein, the event brings together the leading figures from the world of Asian football as well as other international football experts to discuss the development of the game across Asia. The conference agenda will include a review of the opportunities for growth and the challenges facing Asian football.

For further details about the Soccerex Asian Forum please read the full conference programme or contact Soccerex on +44 208 987 5522 or enquiry@soccerex.com. 

In a major blow to the organisers of the World Cup, police strikes have led to Salvador being run by armed forces. Meanwhile in Rio de Janeiro, federal police officers have threatened to strike during the World Cup. 

The Brazilian government sent 5,000 troops to of Salvador on Wednesday after the world cup host city was hit by police strikes and civil unrest. According to the Defence ministry, the military operation was authorised by President Dilma Rousseff based on a request from the Jaques Wagner, governor of the state of Bahia.

And on Sunday, a group of 300 people including federal police officers marched through Rio’s Avenida Atlântica carrying white elephants. “We have the same proposal colleagues of Brasilia and other states: Stopping during the World Cup," said André Vaz de Mello, president of the federal police’s union.

The workers include forensics professionals, crucial for security control at airports. Such strike action could paralyse the World Cup.

Describing the World Cup as "an important moment for the country," President Rousseff has committed the government to ensuring security during the World Cup in all host cities. 

"The federal government will not agree with any kind of violence and we will not let the World Cup be contaminated," she told a meeting of the council for economic and social development in Brasilia on Wednesday. “The armed forces will participate, we will use the Federal Police and the Federal Highway Police and we have partnerships with all state governors."

Meanwhile, construction workers continue to strike on Rio’s Olympic Park. The widespread strike action coincides with a period of intense scrutiny on the progress of these hugely important mega events.

The number of host cities and venues scheduled to host World Cup matches in 2022 is under review and may not be confirmed until September, a spokesperson for the Supreme Committee Delivery and Legacy told HOST CITY. 

“In due course, the final proposal for stadia will be submitted to the FIFA Executive Committee for approval. The requirement is a minimum of eight and a maximum of 12 stadia,” the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy said in a statement emailed to HOST CITY.

Qatar’s World Cup bid originally proposed an event with 12 venues encompassing all seven municipalities in Qatar. Four venues were planned for Doha, three for Al Rayyan and five for each of the other municipalities. 

One possible outcome of the review would be to only use four venues in Doha, three in Al Rayyan and one in Al Wakrah – where the first new stadium is for the World Cup is already being built. This would mean that just three of Qatar’s seven municipalities could host World Cup matches. 

“Once a country is chosen as host, a review of the bid plans is made with the organisers to propose the final host cities and stadia projects, which then need to be approved by the FIFA Executive Committee,” the Committee’s statement said. 

“For Qatar, the process of selecting the final proposed line-up of host venues is ongoing.”

Asked when the venue selection would take place, the spokesperson said “It is logical to assume that the decision by the FIFA Executive Committee will occur after the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. In comparison, Russia’s Host City Selection occurred on 29 September 2012.”

Russia’s bid for the 2018 World Cup originally proposed 16 stadiums in 14 host cities, which was reduced to 12 stadiums in 11 cities. 

The spokesperson declined to comment on what factors might influence a decision to reduce the number of host cities. Possible reasons include the time and investment required for venue construction, coupled with the scale of civic infrastructure work scheduled for Qatar over the next decade.

The need to safeguard legacy use for all World Cup stadiums after 2022 is also likely to influence the review. 

FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke met with key figures in delivering the World Cup in Brazil on Wednesday to establish a rigorous framework for completing outstanding infrastructure work around Itaquerão stadium.

Construction works surrounding the stadium have to be completed be ready by 28 April, while temporary seating inside the stadium must be installed by 10 May, according to local media attending the meeting. A number of test events, starting on 28 April, will take place to ensure the readiness of the venue, which is also known as Arena Corinthians.

Valcke surveyed Itaquerão on Tuesday with Sports Minister Aldo Rebelo and Ronaldo Nazario, board member of the Local Organising Committee. "There is still much work to do; it's a race against time, but I can say that the opening match will take place here in the Corinthians stadium," Valcke is reported to have said.

At a meeting on Wednesday, the deadline for construction work outside the stadium, for which responsibility is shared between the municipal and the state government was set for 28 April. The deadline for completing temporary seating was set for 10 May. 

A walkway that connects the subway station to the stadium will also be completed in May, according to Julius Semeghini, state secretary of planning and regional development.

FIFA has also been monitoring road works around the stadium. According to local media, Rebelo said at the meeting "I had the opportunity to move around the vicinity of the stadium before entering to see the urban mobility works underway. I saw some completed, others in an advanced stage.”

Some small events to test the structure of the stadium have been scheduled for the 26 April, 1 May and 10 May, before FIFA’s evaluation. "The important date is the FIFA test game on 17 or 18 May. We will able to find out if everything is working and we will still have a period of three weeks to solve problems," Valcke  is reported to have said.

50,000 people are expected to come to the FIFA test event. According to Semeghini, the event will serve to assess the functioning of the integrated command and control centre, the security strategy established for the World Cup host cities.