Ok, this might be a little too long, but I've been going through the comments and I cannot help but say it...
I'll try to summarise my arguments into points, for the sake of clarity.
1. Not allowing alcohol will be a major problem.
I feel Qatar is one of the most liberal countries in the Middle East as far as alcohol is concerned. Even Bahrain, where they used to get alcohol freely, is curbing the trend by cancelling licenses to bars and shops etc... In Qatar, at least it is legally available from one focal point. It’s very tough getting alcohol in Saudi Arabia while Dubai has also recently started curbing drinks in public after a host of embarrassing situations.
Qatar has already promised designated fan zones where booze will be freely available. Don’t you think just the promise in itself is something, coming from an Islamic country? The mentality of average educated Qataris are rapidly changing. I strongly feel that in 12 years, they’ll be much more cosmopolitan and hence more tolerant than they’re today. While alcohol may still not be freely available, tolerance to its use may be much higher than currently portrayed.
2. Where will Qatar accommodate so many fans?
Qatar had a similar influx of people when it hosted the Doha Asian Games in 2006. At the time, many of the current hotels like the Al Sharq Spa and Retaj Al Rayyan hadn't even been constructed. Did the travelling fans suffer too much? I think not. The organising committee tackled the problem well, even hiring two ships for the same. I was closely associated with covering the Games. I really didn’t get the feeling that housing shortage affected travelling fans all that much.
Secondly, Qatar boasts of a huge multi-cultural society with people from ALL parts of the world. Why would fans think of staying ONLY in hotels? They could easily find alternate stay with their own countrymen (from England, or Brazil or wherever)? There will always exist a market for cheaper accommodation during such mega events. All it would require is a little thorough research on the internet and refreshing ones contacts in Qatar. Another way to find accommodation is to look out for travel-related websites, where people are willing to freely host travellers. I know of several sites which list people from Qatar as willing hosts. Many of them do it as a ‘pay it forward’ gesture and usually don’t ask a penny in return.
Thirdly, the city is expanding in every different way. Construction is always ongoing at Al Wakra, Al Khor, Al Shamal, the Lusail project, the Pearl project etc... With so many rooms coming up, will there be a dearth of high-end accommodation? I feel not.
Fourth and last, Qatar will start operating high-speed railways between the different GCC countries. For example, according to recent reports, a person will be able to travel from Qatar to Bahrain in just 51 minutes using the new network. Can’t the fans try and stay in neighbouring countries like Bahrain as well? They could just travel to Qatar for the match and leave soon after? Just being inquisitive here…
3. Is Qatar ready to see skimpily clad women or tolerate rowdism from drunk fans?
My answer to the first question is that people should certainly regard the culture of the country they’re visiting. Even now, I see different women in shopping malls who dress daringly. But I’m yet to see someone stop them midway and ask them to cover up. My feeling is that the fans' dresses will be tolerated, as long as they’re not next to naked. A little consideration from the part of the fans will go a long way in helping make things smoother.
Rowdies and fights by alcohol-induced fans. Will they be tolerated in England, Germany, France, Italy or anywhere else in the world where football is played? Then why should Qatar tolerate it? I'll expect authorities to show no sympathy to them because ultimately, they're the ones responsible for their own actions.
OBSERVATIONS
1. The idea of changing the dates of the World Cup is simply impractical, for the simple reason that the European Champions League makes more money every year than the world cup every four years. Changing dates would throw things into limbo and that’s not a feasible solution.
2. Should we brand ‘most foreign women who watch football to be half-naked’? I’ve watched quite a few Qatar Stars League matches and I’ve seen ‘foreign’ women come to it, fully clothed. It certainly can be done. But forcing fans to do it may not be the right way to go about it…
--START OF RANT—
Ok, this might be a little too long, but I've been going through the comments and I cannot help but say it...
I'll try to summarise my arguments into points, for the sake of clarity.
1. Not allowing alcohol will be a major problem.
I feel Qatar is one of the most liberal countries in the Middle East as far as alcohol is concerned. Even Bahrain, where they used to get alcohol freely, is curbing the trend by cancelling licenses to bars and shops etc... In Qatar, at least it is legally available from one focal point. It’s very tough getting alcohol in Saudi Arabia while Dubai has also recently started curbing drinks in public after a host of embarrassing situations.
Qatar has already promised designated fan zones where booze will be freely available. Don’t you think just the promise in itself is something, coming from an Islamic country? The mentality of average educated Qataris are rapidly changing. I strongly feel that in 12 years, they’ll be much more cosmopolitan and hence more tolerant than they’re today. While alcohol may still not be freely available, tolerance to its use may be much higher than currently portrayed.
2. Where will Qatar accommodate so many fans?
Qatar had a similar influx of people when it hosted the Doha Asian Games in 2006. At the time, many of the current hotels like the Al Sharq Spa and Retaj Al Rayyan hadn't even been constructed. Did the travelling fans suffer too much? I think not. The organising committee tackled the problem well, even hiring two ships for the same. I was closely associated with covering the Games. I really didn’t get the feeling that housing shortage affected travelling fans all that much.
Secondly, Qatar boasts of a huge multi-cultural society with people from ALL parts of the world. Why would fans think of staying ONLY in hotels? They could easily find alternate stay with their own countrymen (from England, or Brazil or wherever)? There will always exist a market for cheaper accommodation during such mega events. All it would require is a little thorough research on the internet and refreshing ones contacts in Qatar. Another way to find accommodation is to look out for travel-related websites, where people are willing to freely host travellers. I know of several sites which list people from Qatar as willing hosts. Many of them do it as a ‘pay it forward’ gesture and usually don’t ask a penny in return.
Thirdly, the city is expanding in every different way. Construction is always ongoing at Al Wakra, Al Khor, Al Shamal, the Lusail project, the Pearl project etc... With so many rooms coming up, will there be a dearth of high-end accommodation? I feel not.
Fourth and last, Qatar will start operating high-speed railways between the different GCC countries. For example, according to recent reports, a person will be able to travel from Qatar to Bahrain in just 51 minutes using the new network. Can’t the fans try and stay in neighbouring countries like Bahrain as well? They could just travel to Qatar for the match and leave soon after? Just being inquisitive here…
3. Is Qatar ready to see skimpily clad women or tolerate rowdism from drunk fans?
My answer to the first question is that people should certainly regard the culture of the country they’re visiting. Even now, I see different women in shopping malls who dress daringly. But I’m yet to see someone stop them midway and ask them to cover up. My feeling is that the fans' dresses will be tolerated, as long as they’re not next to naked. A little consideration from the part of the fans will go a long way in helping make things smoother.
Rowdies and fights by alcohol-induced fans. Will they be tolerated in England, Germany, France, Italy or anywhere else in the world where football is played? Then why should Qatar tolerate it? I'll expect authorities to show no sympathy to them because ultimately, they're the ones responsible for their own actions.
OBSERVATIONS
1. The idea of changing the dates of the World Cup is simply impractical, for the simple reason that the European Champions League makes more money every year than the world cup every four years. Changing dates would throw things into limbo and that’s not a feasible solution.
2. Should we brand ‘most foreign women who watch football to be half-naked’? I’ve watched quite a few Qatar Stars League matches and I’ve seen ‘foreign’ women come to it, fully clothed. It certainly can be done. But forcing fans to do it may not be the right way to go about it…
--END OF RANT--