\nDUBAI: Even before the first football World Cup ever to be held in the Middle East kicks off in Qatar on Nov. 20, the entire Gulf region is counting on a massive boost to the air travel, tourism and hospitality industries.<\/p>\n
An influx of 1.2 million visitors is expected to add $17 billion to the Qatari economy over the course of the eagerly awaited month-long tournament, when visitors pack into the nation\u2019s hotels for the greatest sporting spectacle on earth.<\/p>\n
However, there is one catch. Owing to Qatar\u2019s small size, there is a limited amount of accommodation on offer \u2014 as few as 30,000 hotel rooms as of March this year \u2014 forcing fans to search elsewhere in the region. And the shortage is driving up hotel rates.<\/p>\n
\n\u201cAcross the board, hotel rates are already three to four times higher, so you can already immediately feel the impact of the World Cup,\u201d Qatari businessman Tariq Al-Jaidah told Arab News.<\/p>\n Al-Jaidah\u2019s family business, Jaidah Holdings, owns W Doha Hotel & Residences, the first W brand hotel in the Middle East and North Africa. The group also owns and runs major luxury hotels across Europe, including The Gritti Palace in Venice, The Westin Excelsior and The St. Regis in Florence.<\/p>\n Al-Jaidah\u2019s brother, Ibrahim M. Jaidah, group CEO and chief architect of the Arab Engineering Bureau and Ibrahim Jaidah Architects and Engineers, designed the Al-Thumama Stadium that will seat 40,000 spectators for matches up to the quarterfinal stage.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are so many milestones associated with it \u2014 as the first World Cup in the Middle East \u2014 and for many people it is a way of life to come and watch the matches,\u201d said Al-Jaidah.<\/p>\n \n\u201cTo many on this planet it is a way of life and this time it is bringing them to a region many haven\u2019t visited before. You can feel that the region \u2014 the Gulf countries \u2014 are coming together in a natural way for the event.\u201d<\/p>\n To accommodate the legions of football fans heading to Qatar, organizers have already leased two cruise ships and plan to pitch more than 1,000 tents in the desert. A shuttle service has also been established to connect Doha with other regional cities, including Muscat, Riyadh, Jeddah and Kuwait City.<\/p>\n The launch of day flights that will shuttle spectators to and from matches is expected to create plentiful business for local airlines, hotels and hospitality venues, particularly in the nearby nations of Oman, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.<\/p>\n \n\u201cSaudia is advertising special flights, so is Oman, which is ready to receive maximum capacity guests,\u201d said Al-Jaidah.<\/p>\n \u201cThe skies are open to all the airlines \u2014 just between the two cities of Doha and Dubai you will have 60 to 80 flights a day \u2014 forming a veritable air bridge, so that people can commute in an easy way. All of this is creating a phenomenal momentum between Gulf countries.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\u2022 1.2m people expected to visit host nation<\/p>\n \n\u2022 30,000 hotel rooms in Qatar as of March 2022<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n \nDubai will be \u201cthe major gateway\u201d to the World Cup, with more people likely to enter Qatar through the emirate than its own capital Doha, Paul Griffiths, the CEO of Dubai Airports, recently told Bloomberg News.<\/p>\n \u201cThe amount of hotel capacity in Qatar is fairly limited and we\u2019ve got so much to offer here,\u201d Griffiths added.<\/p>\n Indeed, the UAE\u2019s hospitality sector has seen hotel rooms snapped up months in advance. In July, hotel rates in the country saw a 20 percent rise, with many industry experts expecting 100 percent occupancy during the tournament.<\/p>\n Travel agencies are also cashing in on the surge in demand. UAE-based company Expat Sport is advertising a \u201cFootball Fans Dubai Experience\u201d package that provides transportation to and from the airport.<\/p>\n \u201cInternationally we have seen the highest demand for our Football Fans Dubai Experience from the UK, South America, Mexico, India and China,\u201d Sue Holt, executive director of Expat Sport, told Arab News.<\/p>\n \n\u201cWe have also had a large number of enquiries from Saudi Arabia from people wanting to come to spend time in Dubai during the early stages of the tournament, then fly over on the daily shuttle flights for specific games. The opening weekend has been our most popular package, with all available rooms almost sold out.\u201d<\/p>\n Sports tourism is especially lucrative, says Holt, because \u201cit tends to be groups rather than a single person traveling.\u201d<\/p>\n Fan zones will be established around Dubai, including at the 533-room NH Dubai The Palm, a gigantic new luxury hotel on the city\u2019s palm-shaped island. The football-themed hotel will host guests willing to take the 40-minute flight to Doha.<\/p>\n \n\u201cHaving such a momentous event take place in the region will undoubtedly drive more football and revenue to the UAE, mainly Dubai,\u201d Naim Maddad, chief executive and founder of Gates Hospitality in Dubai, told Arab News.<\/p>\n \u201cWith the multiple-entry visas now available for those with tickets to the World Cup, this is likely to drive a lot of extra revenue for city hotels in great locations (and close enough to the airport), but we\u2019re also expecting the same for our food and beverage outlets all over the city.\u201d<\/p>\n It is not just the UAE\u2019s commercial capital that is expecting an influx of visitors and a boon to local business. Oman\u2019s capital Muscat and the Saudi cities of Jeddah and Riyadh are also braced for added footfall.<\/p>\n Both Gulf nations are hosting festivals to coincide with the tournament and have outlined plans to streamline travel procedures. For instance, Oman Air, the national carrier, is offering special fares for football fans traveling to Qatar. Meanwhile, those registered for Qatar\u2019s Hayya fan card can also apply for multi-entry visas to Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n The Hayya card is a fan ID issued by the government of Qatar for those attending the World Cup. The document replaces the usual entry visa, but is only valid for the duration of the tournament.<\/p>\n Tour operators in Saudi Arabia, such as Travel-it, are also advertising special itineraries for football fans who are keen to explore the wider region during the tournament.<\/p>\n \u201cTravel-It aims to bolster Saudi Arabian tourism by providing fans who will be attending the World Cup in Qatar this winter the opportunity to take advantage of the company\u2019s itineraries,\u201d a company spokesperson told Arab News.<\/p>\n Travel-It, which is an online travel and tourism platform, is offering an air and road shuttle service between Saudi Arabia and Qatar, together with trips to Al-Ahsa Oasis in Saudi Arabia\u2019s Eastern Province and elsewhere.<\/p>\n \n\u201cThis will allow them to explore nearby tourist sites in Saudi Arabia and immerse themselves in the rich local culture,\u201d the spokesperson said. \u201cIn addition, Qatar\u2019s proximity to Saudi Arabia means fans will be able to expand their journeys to incorporate destinations in both countries.\u201d<\/p>\n The World Cup offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the entire region to establish itself as a must-visit destination in its own right.<\/p>\n \u201cImportantly, the tournament will increase awareness of the Middle East and Gulf region,\u201d said Al-Jaidah. \u201cA very large number of tourists have never made it to this region. Perhaps it was not on their radar, but this event will bring them together.<\/p>\n \u201cThe World Cup will increase the attractiveness of the region, and show the world how we are able, after Expo 2020 Dubai and the World Cup in Doha, that the sky is the limit here. We are ready for whatever is next.\u201d<\/p>\n \n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.arabnews.com\/sites\/default\/files\/userimages\/17\/afp_20221010_1505260400_791_renamed.jpeg\")
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\nIN<\/span>NUMBERS<\/h4>\n<\/p>\n
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