The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy has awarded HBK Contracting Company the enabling works contract for Al Wakrah stadium, the first proposed host venue to be delivered ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The contract was awarded through a tender process designed to attract Qatari contractors with local knowledge and proven capability in delivering the required services, as part of the Supreme Committee’s legacy initiative to develop the private sector.

The enabling works phase begins in May and is due for completion by around March 2015. During this period, HBK will deliver bulk earthworks including site clearance, excavation and disposal, fill, as well as underground services and stadium foundations. The foundation works will be marked by a ceremony in September.

The main construction company for the stadium will be announced at the end of 2014. The successful candidate for this tender will partner with a local business, in line with the Supreme Committee’s effort to boost the expansion of the Qatar economy.

“We are excited to announce the next stage of works for Al Wakrah Stadium and look forward to continued progress on the ground this year,” said Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy. “The stadium and surrounding precinct will leave a social legacy in Al Wakrah and by appointing HBK, a Qatari company, we aim to also contribute to the economic legacy of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.”

H.E. Sheikh Ali Bin Hamad K. Al-Thani, President of HBK, said: “We are honoured and excited to be appointed by the Supreme Committee as the contractor for this critical first phase of works on the road to the FIFA World Cup in 2022, and look forward to working closely with all stakeholders to help build the first World Cup in the Middle East and achieve our country’s ambitions.  We thank the Supreme Committee for giving us this opportunity to be involved in this most celebrated journey.”

The 40,000-seat stadium, future home of Al Wakrah Sports Club, was the first of Qatar’s FIFA World Cup proposed venues to be revealed. The stadium will be surrounded by approximately 560,000 m2 (60-hectare) of legacy precinct with a new sports centre and community hub. The precinct will deliver a range of community facilities, including a park, mosque, school, hotel, wedding hall, vocational training centre and retail outlets. 

Following the tournament, the stadium’s capacity will be reduced to 20,000 with the extra modular seats removed, re-configured and donated to countries in need of sporting infrastructure, in consultation with FIFA and the continental football confederations.

After an initial inspection during the tendering process of the facility where the HBK workers on the Al Wakrah project will be housed, HBK confirmed their commitment to adhere to the Supreme Committee's Workers’ Welfare Standards, working closely with representatives of the Workers’ Welfare Committee to ensure that the health, safety and dignity of workers on the project are further protected.

Farah Al-Muftah, Chairwoman of the Workers’ Welfare Committee, said: “We started a dialogue with HBK on our expectation for workers welfare during the tendering process and we are encouraged by the company’s commitment to creating a healthy and safe environment for workers on the Al Wakrah Stadium project.”

The number of stadiums that will feature in the 2022 World Cup still hangs in the balance and will not be finalised until next year, according to Nasser Al Khater, executive director for marketing at the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy.

It has been widely reported that Qatar plans to drastically scale down its ambitious venue plans for the 2022 World Cup. These reports were sparked by comments made by the Supreme Committee’s senior manager for projects at a conference on 23rd April, who stated that only eight stadiums would be used. 

With the Supreme Committee having neither discounted this possibility nor given reasons why cutting back to eight stadiums might be an option, the international sports event community has come up with its own suggestions, with cost control being considered to be a possible motivation.

Addressing such “speculation”, Al Khater said “That’s not true actually.”

Speaking to delegates at Soccerex Asian Forum on Tuesday, he said “In our bid, as FIFA stipulates, we proposed a minimum of 12 and a maximum of 18.”

The minimum number of stadiums required by FIFA is eight and this figure remains a possibility. 

“In 2015, will decide alongside FIFA how many need for the World Cup,” he said.

Al Khater was speaking in place of Hasan Al Thawadi, Secretary General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, who was unable to attend the event.

Al Khater also took the opportunity to set the record straight on reports of poor workers’ welfare on World Cup construction projects. 

“Contrary to what international media says, there is no single injury or death on World Cup projects,” he said.

“However, from the very beginning we have taken the issue of workers’ welfare very seriously,”

Although civic infrastructure developments are progressing rapidly in Qatar, construction has not started on World Cup sites. Only one of the new stadiums, Al Wakrah, is under construction.

By the end of 2014, five World Cup stadiums will be under construction, Al Khater told delegates.

Preparations to lay the foundations for Al Wakrah Stadium, the first stadium being built for the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup, began on Monday.

Local construction company HBK has started major excavation work on the site, which will enable the foundations to be start being laid in September 2014.

The groundwork is scheduled to be completed by March 2015, with the entire stadium project expected to be finished in 2018. 

AECOM is providing design consultancy and construction supervision services on the stadium, which was designed by Zaha Hadid. The preparatory works at Al Wakrah were carried out by AMANA, a Middle Eastern firm with headquarters in United Arab Emirates. The contractor for the main construction phase will be announced at a ceremony in September.  

“As a Qatari contractor, the decision to award HBK the contract following a tender process implemented for a number of Qatari contractors with local knowledge and proven capabilities follows the Supreme Commitee’s vision to develop the private sector,” the Supreme Committee said in a statement.

The 40,000 seater stadium will be surrounded by a 560,000 m2 (60-hectare) precinct, which will include a new sports centre and a range of community facilities including a park, mosque, school, hotel, wedding hall, vocational training centre and retail outlets.

The stadium’s modular design will allow 20,000 modular seats to be removed after the World Cup, when they are planned to be donated to countries in need of sporting infrastructure, according to the Supreme Committee. 

The contract with HBK contains the Supreme Committee’s new Workers’ Welfare Standards, aimed at protecting the rights of workers through all stages of contracting. “The new Al Wakrah Stadium will contribute to a significant legacy of enhanced workers’ welfare in the country,” said the Committee. 

Al Wakrah is one of at least eight stadiums that will form part of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. 

By the end of 2014, at least five World Cup stadiums are scheduled to be under construction, with the total number of venues to feature in the tournament to be confirmed by December. Three existing stadiums – Khalifa, Al Gharrafa and Al Rayyan – are to be expanded for the 2022 World Cup.

Manchester City star Yaya Toure got more than the hospital treatment he was visiting Doha for this week. The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy made the most of the occasion, showcasing their plans for the 2022 World Cup tournament to the Ivorian midfielder.

“At Manchester City we talk about the World Cup in Qatar, but sometimes only because you hear very negative things,” Toure said. “If I’m honest, I had questions before I came to Qatar, especially about the weather. It is very hot and you ask yourself how it will be possible for players to play in this heat?”

The Supreme Committee welcomed the world-leading midfielder to the Legacy Pavilion – one of the venues that FIFA inspectors visited in 2010 before Qatar won the right to host the tournament. He was shown how stadiums will be cooled in environmentally-friendly ways and how and modular construction techniques will benefit developing countries after the tournament.

“Now that I have seen the plans and watched this amazing presentation, I have the answers. It is amazing,” Toure said.

“I didn’t understand the plans Qatar has. I didn’t know about the cooling technology or anything like this. I am so surprised. It has everything.

“I have played in the World Cup before. I am about to play in another one. I know what you need for this sort of tournament to be successful. Qatar looks like it has the plans to succeed.”

“For sure I will be telling my teammates about these plans because Qatar is planning to have everything. It’s fantastic.

After helping his team to win the English Premier League, Toure went to Doha’s Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital for treatment on a minor injury. He joins the Ivory Coast national team in Dallas, Texas on Thursday to prepare for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Toure hopes to still be playing by the time Qatar is hosting. “In 2022 I will be 40 and maybe that’s too old to play at a World Cup. I’m trying to work out how I can be involved because this is the future. It looks amazing.”

The Qatari government is set to sign up to $50bn in infrastructure contracts over the course of 2014, according to Sheikh Abdullah bin Saud al-Thani. This represents a massive escalation in construction activity as the 2022 FIFA World Cup draws nearer.

The contracts will include transport and energy projects. A tender for phase one of the Doha Metro has already been issued, according to unnamed sources speaking to Reuters, with a contract expected to be signed by the end of August. 

The $50bn figure, announced by Sheikh Al-Thani at the Qatar Projects 2014 show organised by Meed Events, significantly exceeds previous estimates. Speaking a month before the event, Edmund O’ Sullivan, the chairman of Meed Events said contract awards for big infrastructure projects in Qatar in 2014 were “likely to hit $24bn”.

The recent upturn in spending follows a slow start to the world’s biggest infrastructure project. 

According to Reuters, state spending rose by just 2.2 per cent in the year up to March 2013, while a government report projects state spending to rise by 11.6 per cent in 2014.

"Even with Qatar's means and ambitions, the resources of time, space and human capital are not endless, especially when concentrated on a mere 10 per cent of its soil,” Tilman Engel, managing director of Sport Business Consulting International told HOST CITY. 

Engel advised and directed the Qatar professional football league from 2007 to 2009, during their process of reorganisation and professionalisation in line with AFC and FIFA directives. “Given the enormity of both the World Cup and the National Vision 2030, it is no day too soon for Qatar to launch the projects key to make both visions work."

Infrastructure projects in Qatar accelerated over the course of 2013, overtaking the UAE midway through the year with $12.2bn of contracts awarded, said O’Sullivan. “The bulk… came from the multi-billion-dollar tunnelling packages awarded as part of the Doha metro project.”

On winning the host city election for the 2022 World Cup in 2010, Qatar stated that it would spend $140bn on civic and sporting infrastructure. This figure was soon upgraded, with a report by Deloitte in September 2013 stating that Qatar plans to spend $140bn over the next five years on transport alone.

$200bn is due to be spent over the next 10 years on construction. A further $20bn is to be spent on tourism infrastructure to prepare for the influx of football fans, the Deloitte report said. Since then, an investment of $45bn into tourism by 2030 has been announced.

The AFC Asian Cup draw ceremony took place at the Sydney Opera House on Wednesday, attended by His Excellency Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Ahmad Al Thani, president of the Qatar Football Association (QFA).

Qatar was drawn with Iran, UAE and Bahrain in Group C, while hosts Australia face South Korea, Oman and Kuwait in Group A. 

China was drawn with North Korea, Saudia Arabia and Uzbekistan in Group B. Group D is comprised of Japan, Jordan, Iraq and the AFC Challenge Cup 2014 winners.

On the eve of the draw, Sheikh Hamad confirmed his attendance at the Soccerex Asian Forum.

Soccerex CEO Duncan Revie said: “It’s a great honour to welcome Sheikh Hamad to the Asian Forum, with Qatar being an example of the rapid growth of football within Asia; we’re delighted to be able to offer our delegates the opportunity to network and do business with one of the most influential footballing administrators on the planet.”

Re-elected to another four-year term late last year, Sheikh Hamad was at the helm of the association when the country won the right to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. 

One of the central figures behind the development of the commercial aspect of the game in Asia, Sheikh Hamad oversaw a number of major sponsorship deals for the association as well as the Q-League, including agreements with Qatar Airways, QNB Group and Aamal. 

Soccerex Asian Forum, organized in partnership with the Asian Football Development Project (AFDP), takes place on 13-14 May at the King Hussein Bin Talal Convention Centre, situated on the banks of The Dead Sea, Jordan.

For more information about AFC Asia Cup visit the www.afcasiancup.com

For further details about the Soccerex Asian Forum please contact Soccerex on +44 208 987 5522 or visit www.soccerex.com

As Qatar works towards the FIFA World Cup in 2022 and the Qatar National Vision 2030, international interest in the country continues to grow. This is reflected by Project Qatar 2014, to which 2,100 companies from 47 countries expected to attend. 

A total of 24 countries are setting up international pavilions at Project Qatar 2014, the International Construction Technology & Building Materials Exhibition, which takes place on 12-15 May at the Qatar National Convention Centre. 

Three of these countries – Indonesia, Palestine and Romania – are taking pavilions to the event for the first time, reflecting the desire of growing markets to get involved in the construction industry in Qatar. 

More established countries taking international pavilions include major event hosts Austria, Canada, China, France, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Korea, Spain, Turkey and the United Kingdom.

“The international pavilions have been fundamental to the success of Project Qatar, which has a long history of attracting many global exhibitors and visitors. The pavilions offer international exhibitors a central platform to showcase their expertise, products and services,” said Rawad Sleem, Project Manager, Project Qatar.

“The participation of all these international pavilions demonstrates their recognition of the importance and commercial value of partnering with Project Qatar 2014, positioning their nations in Qatar amongst key global leaders in a market experiencing world leading exponential growth in infrastructure, building and construction.”

Francois Sporrer, French Trade Commissioner, Director of UBIFRANCE Middle East said, “There are many construction and infrastructure projects in Qatar, in preparation for the FIFA World Cup in 2022. In 2014, US$40 billion are going to be invested in various projects in this booming market. Project Qatar 2014 is definitely the place to be which is why the French pavilion, organised by UBIFRANCE, will gather nearly 30 French companies offering various state of the art technologies and French know-how for the building industry. Some of these companies are already active in the Qatari market and a number of others are looking forward to Project Qatar 2014 to network with partners and distributors.

The Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy has confirmed that it will send a delegation to the Soccerex Asian Forum, which takes place on 13 -14 May in Jordan. 

Secretary general Hassan Al Thawadi is to speak on the “Major Events Panel” and deliver an exclusive presentation on Qatar’s plans to host football’s biggest event. The 2022 FIFA World Cup hosts will also welcome delegates to the VIP Lounge and an exhibition stand that will highlight the various projects that Qatar is undertaking over the next eight years. 

“It is a huge honour to welcome back Mr. Al Thawadi and the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy to another Soccerex event,” said Soccerex Chairman Tony Martin.

“The positive investment being made by Qatar for the World Cup represents the commitment and passion shown for football within this thriving continent.”

With an unprecedented number of stadiums and infrastructure projects to be built, training facilities to be supplied and sponsorships to be agreed on, the Qatar 2022 World Cup represents a unique opportunity for the international major events industry. The Soccerex Asian Forum is a rare occasion for the industry to meet decision makers from the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy.

A record number of senior industry figures from FIFA and the AFC are set to attend this year’s Soccerex Asian Forum. Leading dignitaries will also attend from La Liga, Real Madrid, Liverpool, the United States Soccer Federation, Manchester United, the Australia Football Federation, the Qatar Football Association, Barcelona, the Japan Football Association, the All India Football Federation and Galatasaray. 

The Forum, held in partnership with the AFDP founded and chaired by HRH Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein, will bring 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 more details about the Soccerex Asian Forum please contact Soccerex on +44 208 987 5522 or visit www.soccerex.com/events/asia/

Qatar is in formal talks with the International Olympic Committee about the possibility of hosting a future Summer Olympic Games, but the question of moving the event to a different time of year is “pure speculation”, the IOC told Host City.

Qatar is one of eleven prospective hosts in talks with the IOC about future Summer Olympic Games. 

Following an IOC Executive Board Meeting in which climate-driven changes to future Winter Games host city selection were discussed, Host City asked the IOC if it would consider allowing a Summer Olympic Games in the winter months to enable a bid from the Middle East.

“This would be pure speculation at this point in time,” the IOC Media Relation office said in an email.

The rules regarding the months in which the Games can take place have not changed in nearly 20 years.

“As per an IOC Executive Board decision in 2003, and as clearly stated in the Future Host Questionnaire for the Olympic Games, the duration of the competitions of the Olympic Games shall not exceed sixteen days and the dates of the Olympic Summer Games shall be chosen within the period: 15 July to 31 August,” the IOC explained.

“The final dates for the holding of the Games, including the number of days of competition and the scheduling of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Games, is decided by the IOC in consultation with the Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (OCOG).”

The National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Qatar is one of 11 NOCs from four continents interested in hosting the Olympic Games, either in Continuous Dialogue or informal exchange with the IOC.

The NOC of Qatar are taking part in Continuous Dialogue with the IOC. “These discussions are not linked to a particular year or edition of the Games and there is no longer a fixed election cycle, as in the past,” the IOC said.

The next Summer Games for which a host has not yet been confirmed is 2036, following Paris 2024, LA 2028 and Brisbane 2032.

The Qatari capital of Doha previously bid for the 2016 Games, under the slogan "Celebrating Change." This bid did not make it to the Candidature phase, and Qatar turned its attention to a successful bid for the FIFA World Cup, which was moved to take place outside summer months for the first time - although organisers claimed it could have taken place any time of year.

Although the bidding procedure for the Olympic Games has changed significantly since then, further changes would be required to enable the Games to be hosted at a different time of year.

“Since Olympic Agenda 2020 and the subsequent reforms of the New Norm, the IOC has adopted a new, flexible approach to electing Olympic Hosts, which considers carefully the local context and future plans for the region. All potential hosts must demonstrate sustainability and legacy at the heart of their Games proposal, which should align with long term socio-economic development plans for their region or country,” the IOC told Host City.

[Source: AIPH] The International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) has reviewed upcoming International Horticultural Exhibitions, that falls under its approval, due to the COVID-19 pandemic repercussions. Considering the time it takes to prepare a high-quality A1 International Horticultural Exhibition and the difficulties in continuing preparations during the pandemic, AIPH has recommended that Expo 2021 Doha Qatar be moved to a future date.

With a theme focused on greening the desert and improving the environment, the Government of the State of Qatar has therefore agreed to postpone the Horticultural Expo which will now open in October 2023. The Horticultural Expo will be hosted at Al Bidda Park and is expected to attract millions of visitors in the context of climate water and soil being indispensable and scarce resources, in addition to a list of objectives that were set in line with Qatar National Vision 2030.

Commenting on the change, AIPH Secretary General, Tim Briercliffe says, “Although Expo preparations are well underway in Doha, it is necessary to postpone the opening to allow more time for international participants to visit Doha, select their locations and prepare the construction and activities they need. AIPH believe that this date change will ensure that the Expo can be delivered to the highest possible standards. This will be the first AIPH Expo to take place in the Middle East and we are very excited about what it will achieve to stimulate city greening and sustainable development in a desert region.”

The Minister of Municipality and Environment for the State of Qatar, His Excellency Abdulla Bin Abdulaziz Al Subai welcomed the revised dates and commented: “ Throughout the COVID – 19 Pandemic the State of Qatar implemented strategic measures to address the economic and social impact of the pandemic, having said that and as we recognise the severe impact of the pandemic globally, we welcome the revised dates suggested by the AIPH for the Horticultural Expo. The State of Qatar is always committed to delivering world-class events, and this will not change for the A1 World Horticultural Exhibition happening for the first time in our region. Qatar looks forward to welcoming the global horticultural sector to share knowledge and experience in support of the Qatar National Vision 2030.

As Expo 2021 Doha Qatar has been recognised by the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), the intergovernmental organisation in charge of Expos, the change of dates requires approval from the BIE’s 170 Member States. The Secretary General of the BIE Dimitri S. Kerkentzes indicated: “I welcome the AIPH’s recommendation and Qatar’s resolution to move Horticultural Expo 2021 Doha Qatar to 2023, and I am confident that the change in dates will be approved by our Member States. For the host country and all participating countries, the new dates will allow the necessary time to adjust and adapt their plans to ensure the Middle East’s first Horticultural Expo is a resounding success in 2023.”

The Secretary General of the Expo in Qatar Mr Mohamad Ali AL Khoury welcomed the decision of the AIPH and reiterated on the importance of hosting this event for the first time in the region by saying: “The State of Qatar has always been the hub for World Class International events, we are committed to delivering a one of a kind experience to the global community and the citizens of Qatar and the region. We are continually working to ensure the readiness of Qatar to host the A1 Horticultural Expo, and we will continue with these efforts to deliver a premier one of a kind event.”

International Horticultural Expos foster cooperation and knowledge sharing between countries addressing crucial issues related to healthy lifestyles, green economies, sustainable living, education and innovation.

Hosted in Qatar for the first time in the region, the A1 Horticultural Expo will last for six months starting October 2023. It will include participants representing countries and International Organisations as well as Cities, Companies, Civil Society and NGOs.

For more information about International Horticultural Expos visit http://aiph.org/