Qatar 2022
In a coordinated effort by government entities in Qatar to support with the delivery of accommodation options for the FIFA World Cup 2022™, the Housing and Governmental Buildings Department of the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labor and Social Affairs (MADLSA) and the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in March 2020 to lease residential properties that would be used to provide accommodation for visitors during the FIFA World Cup 2022™, set to kick off on 21 November of that year.
As part of the MoU, a joint team from both organisations reviewed a number of landlord rental requests to be part of the accommodation plan. More than 150 complete, undivided properties have been approved in the first batch. These include buildings, towers and residential complexes, all of which are fully furnished, providing approximately 15,000 additional rooms for use during the tournament.
As part of this initiative, work is also underway to sign five-year renewable contracts with home owners for use during the tournament and beyond. After the FIFA World Cup 2022™, the houses will be used to meet Qatar’s long term government housing needs and will form the basis of a robust government housing program that is line with the Qatar National Vision 2030.
Speaking on this occasion, His Excellency Yousef bin Muhammad Al Othman Fakhro, Minister of ADLSA said: "We are pleased to complete the first phase of this project and secure thousands of rooms for guests of the State of Qatar. Through cooperation with the private sector, these rooms can be used during the tournament and then leveraged for future government housing needs."
"We will continue to work with real estate owners from the private sector and inspect their properties to ensure their compliance with our accommodation standards for hosting visitors and fans during the tournament,” he added.
His Excellency confirmed that the online application portal is still open, directing an invitation to real estate owners to register as soon as possible to take advantage of this distinct opportunity.
His Excellency Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary General of the SC, also said: “We succeeded in securing thousands of rooms more than two years before the start of the first FIFA World Cup in the Middle East and the Arab world as a result of this cooperation with the Ministry of Administrative Development Labour and Social Affairs, and we are very pleased with this key achievement."
Al Thawadi added, “The SC will continue its commitment to work with its local partners to provide sustainable accommodation options in a way that contributes to strengthening the local economy and supporting the continued development of the business sector and Qatar’s preparations to host the tournament."
During the announcement, MADLSA and the SC encouraged owners to support tournament preparedness by renting their properties so that they can be used during the FIFA World Cup™. In particular, interested parties were invited to apply online, where their applications are assessed with eligible applicants being communicated with to arrange for inspections of the properties prior to registration.
Since signing the MoU, the two parties have worked towards providing more accommodation options and granting investment opportunities to private sector owners in the country to offer their properties to visitors during the tournament.
As such, real estate owners in the private sector have been able to sign five-year lease contracts with MADLSA and the SC to support tournament needs and maximize the economic windfall from Qatar's organisation of this major sporting event.
Additionally, MADLSA and the SC renewed the call for more real estate owners to submit applications to offer their properties for leasing as part of efforts to support the local economy through greater participation of the private sector in the event during the preparation period for the tournament and beyond.