Even after the World Cup, Qatar would continue to host significant sporting events, such as the Asian Games, and might even reapply to host the Olympics.
This was stated by Hassan Al Thawadi, secretary general of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, during his remarks at the Concordia Summit in New York on yesterday, September 19, 2022.
“The World Cup is probably the biggest event that Qatar hosts, but it’s not the only event. We’re on our path to hosting major events – the 2030 Asian Games, we’re in the fray to host the 2023 Asian Cup and dare I say it, potentially, we’re going to be bidding again for the Olympics. Our journey being the host of major events and utilising them to achieve the vision that we have, extends beyond Qatar, it includes the region, includes the globe and is ongoing,” he said
Have fun reviewing movies and drinks
Al Thawadi welcomed everyone to visit the country adding that the World Cup is an opportunity to discover a new culture, it is an opportunity to explore differences. He added that the World Cup has the ability to bring people together and thus celebrate common humanity saying, “In this day and age, most people are at opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of arguments or ideologies. There are unfortunately a lot of conflicts out there. Anybody who experienced a sporting event, or anybody who has experienced visiting a country during a World Cup or a Euro or any other sports event, knows that it has this unbelievable ability to bring people together. At that one moment in time, celebrating our common humanity is at its height.”
He added that the Middle East is a welcoming region and people might come from different backgrounds but once someone is in the country, everyone just feels at home.
On the challenges that Qatar has faced with labour reforms, he said that the commitment to human and social development was made way back in 2006, much before the World Cup bidding was even considered. Al Thawadi stressed that the labour reforms were not a response to criticisms from the world, but due to Qatar’s values adding, “We pursued the reforms and pushed forward of our own volition. Criticism served as a guiding principle when we discussed the subject with our partners. The International Labour Organisation, the International Trade Union Confederation were at one point our adversaries, but today they promote the work that’s been done in Qatar as a benchmark in the region.”
He further went on to explain the impact of his organisation’s efforts with regard to workers’ rights. “The work we’ve done within the SC is a benchmark on a global level. We launched the Workers’ Welfare Forum within the SC to ensure that all workers with the companies involved with us could raise their concerns and grievances without fear. This initiative piloted within the environment of the World Cup has now spread throughout the country. And in the last four years, companies have voluntarily committed to reimburse around $28m of recruitment fees of which $23m has already been paid,” he said, adding that “the legacy is being delivered now. It’s not something that we’re looking beyond 2022, the legacy is being delivered now and it’ll not end after 2022. Labour reforms are something we’re delivering before the tournament and it’ll last beyond it.”
He clarified that “The only other international organization that outperforms us in terms of standards is Apple, which accomplished it over the course of seven years and reimbursed somewhere around 37 million. We have invested 28 million over the course of four years, and once more, I believe that this is a model that we should promote not just for Qatar’s environment, but also for the rest of the world.”
