15,000 more rooms for World Cup fans secured

About 15,000 additional rooms to accommodate visitors during the FIFA World Cup 2022 have been secured after a joint committee approved a number of residential properties for use during the tournament.
In a coordinated effort by government entities in Qatar, the Housing and Governmental Buildings Department of the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour 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.
As part of the MoU, a joint team from both organisations reviewed a number of 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 in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030.
Speaking on this occasion, HE the Minister of ADLSA Yousuf bin Mohamed al- Othman Fakhroo said: “We are pleased to complete the first phase of this project and secure thousands of rooms for guests of Qatar. Through co-operation 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 the Minister said the online application portal is still open, urging real estate owners to register as soon as possible to take advantage of this distinct opportunity.
Secretary General of the SC Hassan al-Thawadi 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 co-operation 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 out 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 maximise 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 offer their properties for leasing as part of efforts to support the local economy through greater participation of the private sector in the event.