ZURICH, Feb 6 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Global soccer body FIFA says it has set up a joint venture with Qatar to deliver the 2022 World Cup which will be held in the Gulf state.
FIFA said in a statement that it would hold 51 percent of the shares, and the Qatar Local Organising Committee 49 percent.
“Today, we take a major step in the organisation of the biggest single-sport event in the world,” said FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura.
Hassan al-Thawadi, head of Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, explained that after nine years of work alone, FIFA’s extensive tournament experience was now needed.
“The formation of this new joint venture comes at a strategically important time on Qatar’s World Cup project,” he said.
“As we shift our focus from delivering stadiums, training pitches and the transportation required for 2022, to fan and player experience and event operations,” he explained.
Thawadi said Qatar was determined to “ensure that the first FIFA World Cup in the Arab world is one of the best ever”.
Another member of the Qatar 2022 delivery team, Nasser al-Khater, said the joint venture’s aim was to collectively develop the best possible operational plans for 2022.
“It is the work we do now which will ensure the experience we deliver is unlike anything previously witnessed at a tournament,” he said. — NNN-AGENCIES
