The findings of FIFA’s long awaited ethics report into the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups were announced today (Thursday), with the judge’s summary saying there was limited evidence of improper conduct. However, the investigator who produced the report says the summary misrepresented his facts and made erroneous conclusions. 

In his summary, Judge Hans-Joachim Eckert concluded that there was not enough evidence to remove Russia or Qatar’s rights to host the World Cup or reopen the process, saying that any breaches of rules by bidding nations had only a “limited scope”. 

Michael Garcia was hired by FIFA 18 months ago to find out the truth about widespread allegations of collusion and bribery in the bidding process that saw Russia and Qatar win the hosting rights to the 2018 and 2022 World Cups respectively. 

“Today’s decision by the Chairman of the Adjudicatory Chamber contains numerous materially incomplete and erroneous representations of the facts and conclusions detailed in the Investigatory Chamber’s report,” he said on Thursday. He is now expected to appeal to FIFA’s ethics committee.

In his 42-page summary of Garcia’s 430-page report, Eckert said that concerns over the activities of bidding nations were “limited” and not sufficient cause to question the outcome of the election.

“The effects of these occurrences on the bidding process as a whole were far from reaching any threshold that would require returning to the bidding process, let alone reopening it,” said Eckert.

Contraventions identified in the summary included improprieties in England’s bid campaign, namely incentives to executive committee member Jack Warner.

“England’s response to Mr Warner’s – improper – demands, in, at a minimum, always seeking to satisfy them in some way, damaged the integrity of the ongoing bidding process. Yet, such damage was again of rather limited extent,” said Eckert.

“We cooperated fully with the Ethics Committee’s investigation and continue to believe that a fair and appropriate review will demonstrate the integrity and quality of our bid,” said the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy said in a statement. 

“FIFA welcomes the fact that a degree of closure has been reached with the chairman of the adjudicatory chamber stating today that ‘the evaluation of the 2018/2022 FIFA World Cup bidding process is closed for the FIFA ethics committee. As such, FIFA looks forward to continuing the preparations for Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022 which are already well underway,” said FIFA’s statement.

The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy – the organisation in charge of building and kitting out venues for the 2022 FIFA World Cup – has has signed a contract with Qatar Mobility Innovations Center (QMIC) to adopt its Hawa’ak air quality monitoring system.

QMIC has fully developed Hawa’ak to monitor air quality, weather, climate and other environmental conditions in real time. Using an “Internet of Things” platform, it allows users to access this information via multiple channels including mobile delivery, and web portals.

Hawa’ak takes advantage of a new generation of mobile sensor stations that can be distributed across a wide area to deliver localised and personalised air quality information.

“We believe that carefully monitoring environment and air quality conditions is a critical part of building and maintaining proposed host venues for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar,” said Yasir Al Jamal, acting assistant secretary general for delivery affairs at the Supreme Committee. 

“We are very pleased to have selected the Hawa’ak system from QMIC to furnish our stadiums with weather & air quality monitoring stations.”

The Supreme Committee is keen to use the World Cup as an opportunity to develop a range of industries within the host nation. In addition to delivering sports infrastructure, the Supreme Committee aims to boost the development of Qatar’s private sector and streamline regulations.

“We believe that utilizing innovative technologies and systems that are developed in Qatar will help in creating sustainable new industries, which support our strategy of creating a legacy in the country,” said Al Jamal. 

The collected, processed and refined weather and air quality information will be accessible to the Supreme Committee and its subsidiaries through a range of channels such as web portals, mobile applications, hard copy reports, and alerts among others.

The Supreme Committee says this information will contribute to building a rich bank of data that will drive the creation of new services and applications optimised for enterprises, government agencies and consumers.

“We would like to thank the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy for putting their trust in us,” said Dr. Adnan Abu-Dayya, executive director of QMIC. “All along, QMIC has focused on developing and deploying intelligent systems and services to support the needs of important market segments in Qatar including environment, transportation, and road safety. Our strategic partnership with SC will help us scale up our plans and achieve our goals faster in the field of environment.”

The organisers of the Qatar 2022 World Cup, unveiled the latest stadium design today, with details of the cooling technologies described by lead architect Mark Fenwick as a “challenge” to incorporate. 

The Qatar Foundation Stadium is the fourth stadium design to be revealed by the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, who announced the plans on the anniversary of Qatar winning the right to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. 

The venue, based in Education City on the outskirts of Doha, will be combined with a Health and Wellness Precinct and educational programmes.

“Designing the Qatar Foundation Stadium was a unique challenge as it incorporates the innovative cooling technologies being developed by the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy,” said Mark Fenwick, lead architect for RFA Fenwick Iribarren Architects.

According to the Supreme Committee, the design will create a comfortable environment for football. “Pitch and spectator terraces are cooled to the target temperatures; the players’ and spectators’ comfort levels will meet and exceed FIFA requirements and guidelines for safe play and spectating.”

The stadium is to be cooled using chilled water from the local air conditioning network combined with an innovative roof design. 

The opening in the stadium roof is designed as a cavity, to act as a wind break and slow down the movement of hot air outside the roof. This process is passive and consumes no energy, helping to reduce the building’s overall energy consumption by reducing the amount of cool conditioned air escaping. 

The active cooling system used by the stadium will take in chilled water from Education City’s existing district cooling network. 

The high energy consumption of air conditioning will be further offset by photovoltaic and reflective technologies to produce energy for electricity and hot water. Photovoltaic and solar thermal panels are proposed to power the stadium, swimming pool and indoor pavilion.

According to the Supreme Committee, photovoltaic and solar thermal panels could be placed on the stadium roof.

The developers are aiming for a Gold Sustainability Building Certification in the US Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) ratings system.

To attain this, at least 20 per cent of all materials used is proposed to come from sustainable sources. 50 per cent of all wood-based materials are to be procured from sustainable forestry sources, while 20 per cent of all materials are to be sourced regionally in a bid to reduce the carbon footprint of logistics.

The construction is being managed by Qatar Foundation’s Capital Projects Directorate, which is setting its own standards in workers’ welfare, based on the Supreme Committee’s recommendations. 

“With the exception of the early works contractor, who was awarded prior to the release of the QF Mandatory Standards of Migrant Workers’ Welfare (QF Standards), all contractors and sub-contractors working on this project will be contractually required to comply with the QF Standards,” says the Supreme Committee.

“Both sets of standards—which are based on Qatari labour law and international best practices—establish minimum requirements that protect the rights of workers from recruitment to repatriation. 

“The SC and QF Standards are very similar and only differ in terms of the accommodation specifications.”

The stadium is scheduled for completion in 2018 with a capacity of 40,000 seats to host matches up to and including the quarter-final stage of the World Cup in 2022. The stadium will be reconfigured to 15,000 seats after the World Cup. 

The members-only Health & Wellness Precinct will incorporate medical clinics and sports facilities, football pitches, gymnasiums, tennis courts and facilities for non-traditional sports such as climbing as well healthy restaurants and cafes. 

“Through innovative design, sustainably-sourced materials and the latest cooling and energy-efficient technology, the Qatar Foundation Stadium and Health & Wellness Precinct will not only allow us to host an amazing FIFA World Cup but also leave a genuine legacy in Qatar well beyond 2022,” said Ghanim Al Kuwari, Competition Venues Director at the Supreme Committee. 

Qatar has the economy and the infrastructural capability to host the FIFA World Cup, but needs to address the issue of the weather and impose its individuality to create an outstanding event in 2022, according to three of the biggest names in Italian football.

"The first feeling that Qatar gives is that this is a set of people who have everything. They have great potential to host an event of such high calibre," Gianluigi Buffon, captain of Juventus said at a press conference before the Supercoppa match between Napoli and Juventus in Doha on Saturday.

"Considering the economic potential and facilities here, the World Cup will be a positive event for this country. They have all the ingredients to make it a successful event."

Christian Maggio, the Napoli right back added "Since the first day of our arrival in Qatar we have been amazed by the infrastructure. It is beautiful. It is an indicator that this city wants to provide something extraordinary.

"Qatar will be ready for the World Cup. There is care taken about even the smallest of details. And definitely Qatar will be ready to host an international event of such a huge stature."

This is not the first time a major international footballer has backed Qatar to host a world class event in 2022. In May 2014, Yaya Toure of Ivory Coast was impressed by a presentation by the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy.

Napoli coach Rafael Benitez, who has reportedly been offered a role coaching Qatar’s national team, said "Working with football people here in Qatar is a great pleasure. They have the best of facilities. And utilizing these facilities is something that Napoli and other teams should think about."

Buffon, who was for many years regarded as the best goalkeeper in the world, also spoke positively about the developing football culture in Qatar. "We were warmly received here. Many people, including myself, didn’t know that Juventus will have such a huge following in Qatar."

Speaking at a time when Qatar's right to host the World Cup is being called into question, he hinted that a non-judgemental attitude helps to build understanding. "If you don’t go about your life in a particular way then you don’t get the love of the people."

Nonetheless, the host nation still needs to work on its footballing identity and communicate its vision to the world. 

"In the years ahead of the event, Qatar should find ways to make the event more romantic," said Buffon. "And I hope that it can be done and that will make the Qatar edition stand out from the rest of the world."

The biggest issue Qatar faces in hosting the World Cup is the hardest to control. "Of course I think that we need to play in the right weather so that the players can have the best conditions to display their skills. And also for the fans. They tend to move from one place to another. So we expect there will be the question of weather."

Speaking at Securing Sport 2014 in London on Tuesday, Franz Beckenbauer told a select group of the press including HOST CITY that FIFA should make the findings of its investigations into alleged corruption public.

Beckenbauer was on the FIFA Executive Committee during the controversial bidding procedure for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. Asked to reveal who he voted for, he said he had to respect the rules of the secret ballot. He also categorically stated that he did not accept, or receive any offers of, lavish gifts in attempts to influence votes. 

But he did say “I was surprised that Qatar won. It was a good bid like all the others, but it’s not possible to play football there in the summer. You have to put a lot of effort into cooling the stadiums. My suggestion would be to host in the winter.” 

In June 2014 Beckenbauer was suspended by FIFA from all football related activities for failing to help with the investigations of FIFA’s ethics prosecutor Michael Garcia. 

Beckenbauer then agreed to take part in the investigation and the ban was lifted. 

He told Securing Sport that he did not initially complete Garcia’s questionnaire because it was in complex legal English and he would have preferred to have answered such questions in German. 

FIFA has indicated that the ethics report, which should now be in its final stages, will not be made public. But Beckenbauer said the report should be made public as soon as it is finished. 

“Rumours are going round and that is very negative,” he said. “If the recent report has been finalised, it should be published. It’s up to FIFA – there is an Executive Committee to make these decisions, but personally, there is nothing to hide.”

Winning bid was my best achievement

Beckenbauer told delegates at Securing Sport that winning the bid to host the 2006 World Cup exceeded all of his many sporting and professional achievements.

Franz Beckenbauer led his national team to world cup victory as captain in 1974 and as manager in 1990. Yet asked by moderator David Walsh of the Sunday Times to name his greatest achievement, Beckenbauer said “Winning the bid for 2006 was the greatest moment of my sporting career.”

The greatest effect of winning the bid was the effect it had on sport in the country, he said. “German football has never been better than now; that is down to the World Cup. We have great infrastructure and full capacities. 

“The way football has developed is fantastic. I feel sorry for other sports: you switch on the television and all you see is football.”

Beckenbauer told delegates in London that hosting the World Cup could have a similar positive effect in England. “It is surprising that England hasn’t won the World Cup since 1966. There is so much talent, such great stadiums and fans, financially there is no problem.

“If England won a bid to host a World Cup, perhaps that might be an incentive for improving the standard of football.”

To find out more about bidding procedures for major events, register for HOST CITY Bid to Win on 28th October

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.  

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 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. 

The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar has confirmed that the size of the host nation is a factor in the decision to consider reducing the number of host venues to as few as eight.

“The process of selecting the final proposed line-up of host venues is ongoing in consultation with FIFA,” the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy said in a statement. 

“Given the size of our country, FIFA and the Local Organising Committee decided to look into reducing the originally proposed 12 venues to fit the country’s specifications while ensuring best playing conditions for all 64 matches. "

The statement reiterated the fact that eight is the minimum of number of stadiums generally requested by FIFA for a World Cup.

“The 2022 Local Organising Committee will submit by December 2014 a proposal for an appropriate number of host venues, whilst ensuring a suitable legacy for the country and the national league after the tournament. The approval of the final number of stadiums is envisaged by the FIFA Executive Committee by March 2015.”

As Qatar’s preparations for the 2022 FIFA World Cup enter the construction phase, the World Stadium Congress brings architects, solutions providers and stadium operations consultants to Doha on 19th May 2014. 

This year’s World Stadium Congress, organised by IQPC, will focus on stadium design, sustainability and construction challenges. 

ASTAD Project Management's H.E. Ali Bin Nasser Al Khalifa and SPOR SANAYI's Yasar Meral will open the first day of the conference with keynotes on world-class sporting infrastructure. 

H.E. Ali Bin Nasser will provide an insight into the highly anticipated FIFA World Cup in Qatar in a session titled "Delivering world-class infrastructure to support Qatar 2022."

“Exceptional project management will play a critical role in the delivering a memorable mega-event," said H.E. Ali Bin Nasser. 

"We will draw from ASTAD's significant experience building sports facilities in Qatar, but it is also important for senior stakeholders within the industry to share their expertise and knowledge so that we may identify solutions to common challenges and ensure continuous improvement in design and construction."

Tariq Al Abudulla, General Manager of the Qatar Olympic Academy and Head of Technical Affairs at the Qatar Olympic Committee, will follow with a keynote address on Day Two, laying out the Qatar Olympic Academy's unique Sport Venue Management programme.

Other speakers include Jon Sellins, head of business development consultancy at Wembley Stadium, who will draw from the Champions League Final 2013 to convey best practices in hosting and facilitating major sporting events.

Sustainability is the keyword at this year's conference. "It is important to us that the lasting impact of our stadiums on the community is a positive one," said Diogo Taddei, architecture manager at AECOM, Brazil. 

"In designing the sporting and non-competition facilities for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, we took Rio's and Brazil's sporting ambitions into account and focused on the provision of a cost-efficient design for permanent and temporary venues. The legacy conversion plan cannot be overlooked."

Dan Meis, global director of sport at Woods Bagot, will also discuss stadium legacy and community integration, showcasing AS Roma's new €700m stadium as a mixed-use sports and entertainment destination.

"Given the number of stadiums that are being contemplated for the region, it is very important to discuss how we can ensure that these venues continue to benefit the community beyond the tournaments for which they were built," he said.

The congress will also feature panels, case studies and roundtable discussions. Meis, Taddei, Mark Fenwick of RFA Irribarren Architects, and Markus Pfisterer, director of GMP Architekten, will sit on a panel on trends in stadium design. 

J Parrish, Director of Global Sports, AECOM, UK, event chair Paul Hyett of HKS Architects will also feature in roundtable discussions, along with representatives from Honeywell and Grundfos.

This year’s World Stadium Congress will host a financial perspective for the first time. Nermine Nassif Girgis Ishak, Head of Corporate Banking at Al Khaliji Commercial Bank will deliver a talk entitled "Financing growth and capitalising on development opportunities," an examination of opportunities in the Qatar projects market for local and international players.