Analysis Aviation Flight searches to Qatar soar from South Korea and Australia Searches for travel to Qatar from nations competing in the World Cup surged in November as fans raced to reserve last-minute flights and accommodation in the tournament’s host country. Enquiries for Qatar on travel aggregator website Wego from internet users in South Korea were up 168 percent in November versus the same period of 2021, […] December 7, 2022
Business of Sport Qatar-owned football club PSG eyes sale of minority stake Qatar-owned football club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) is looking to sell a minority stake, chairman and CEO Nasser Al-Khelaifi told CNN. “I think it’s great for the club, and it is proved that we are doing a fantastic job in the club. I mean, we bought it for around 70 million… so is it [a] good investment?” […] December 7, 2022
Analysis World Cup 2022 World Cup has instant impact on Qatari retail and tourism The World Cup has had an immediate impact on private sector activity in Qatar, according to new figures. The Fifa tournament began on November 20 and the latest Purchasing Managers’ Index report, from Qatar Financial Centre, says the country’s wholesale, retail and service providers reported a rapid expansion in the second half of the month. […] December 5, 2022
Analysis Business of Sport How Qatar is handling the world’s football fans More than one million people are expected to visit Qatar during the World Cup and the authorities are hoping that is the start of a new tourism boom. The opportunity for a country to present itself to a global audience of billions does not come around often. As host of the tournament, Qatar certainly finds […] December 4, 2022
Tech US approves potential anti-drone system sale to Qatar for $1bn The US State Department has approved the potential sale of an anti-drone system to Qatar in a deal valued at $1 billion, the Pentagon said on Tuesday. The principal contractors will be Raytheon Technologies Corp , SRC and Northrop Grumman Corp, the Pentagon said in a statement. It added that the Pentagon’s Defence Security Cooperation […] November 30, 2022
Energy Germany to get new flows of QatarEnergy liquefied natural gas Germany is set to receive new flows of Qatari liquefied natural gas (LNG) from 2026 after QatarEnergy and ConocoPhillips on Tuesday signed two sales and purchase agreements for its export covering at least a 15-year period. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February, competition for LNG has become intense, with Europe in particular needing vast amounts […] November 29, 2022
Business of Sport Messi takes on Ronaldo in ‘cryptoverse’ World Cup 2022 The market for fan tokens, a volatile cocktail of crypto and sport, is heating up in the desert of Qatar. Interest in this niche breed of cryptocurrencies, typically linked to sports teams like Barcelona or Brazil, has been charged up by the soccer World Cup which began on November 20. Average daily trading volumes for […] November 29, 2022
Economy Qatar’s Q3 private sector exports surge 58% Qatar’s private sector exports reached QAR 9.38 billion ($2.58 billion) during the third quarter of 2022, a rise of 58 percent year-on-year, Qatar Chamber said in a quarterly report. The increase affirms the ongoing improvement of the private sector’s performance and a return to pre-pandemic levels, the report said. The total value of private sector […] November 28, 2022
Qatar reviews London investments after transport advert ban Qatar has launched a review of its investments in London after the city’s transport authority this week banned the Gulf state’s tourism advertisements on the capital’s buses, taxis and Underground train system, Saturday’s Financial Times reported. The paper said the move by Transport for London (TfL) was triggered by concerns over the soccer World Cup […] November 27, 2022
Opinion Business of Sport The World Cup could be the next staging post for Qatar’s economy As the World Cup unfolds over the next month, it will be interesting to see how Qatar makes the most of its moment in the global spotlight November 24, 2022
Player 2 has entered the game – Mena eyes $5bn e-sports prize Sunday was a big day for sports fans in the Middle East. With the eyes of the media trained on the World Cup opener in Qatar and the final race of the Formula One season in Abu Dhabi, it was easy to overlook the e-sports grand final taking place in Dubai. It would be wise […] November 22, 2022
Energy QatarEnergy signs 27-year LNG supply deal with China’s Sinopec QatarEnergy has signed a 27-year deal to supply China’s Sinopec with liquefied natural gas, the longest such LNG agreement so far as volatile markets drive buyers to seek long-term deals. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February, competition for LNG has become intense, with Europe in particular needing vast amounts to help replace Russian pipeline […] November 22, 2022
Analysis Business of Sport Qatar scores, with vital assists from Iran, Turkey and the UAE Alongside the massive investment and the 12 years of preparation, Qatar has called in more than a few favours to aid the smooth running of the World Cup. While its allies have proved keen to help, Doha has had to tiptoe carefully around the geopolitical faultlines that run through the Gulf. Turkey has sent more […] November 21, 2022
World Cup 2022 Uefa welcomes Fifa pledge to tackle Qatar labour issues A group of 11 European football associations welcomed promises from Fifa of support for migrant labourers in Qatar and the creation of a legacy fund from 2022 World Cup proceeds. The Uefa Working Group on Human and Labour Rights, made up of representatives from the football associations of Belgium, Denmark, England, Finland, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, […] November 21, 2022
Analysis Business of Sport Nine ways the World Cup will transform Qatar Qatari strategists conceived the World Cup as a catalyser for long-term development ambitions. Across a range of economic sectors, the government has sought to embed the transitory impact of the tournament with longer-lasting side-benefits. None are more evident than in the tourism sector. As Berthold Trenkel, chief operating officer of Qatar Tourism, told AGBI: “The […] November 21, 2022
Tourism TUS Airways gets nod for Israel-Qatar flights during World Cup Cyprus-based TUS Airways has received final permission to operate non-stop flights to Qatar from Israel during the soccer World Cup, a source at TUS told Reuters on Friday. In all, TUS will operate six flights between Tel Aviv and Doha, beginning on Sunday, the source said. FIFA announced last week that Qatar would admit the […] November 20, 2022
Business of Sport Budweiser campaign curbed, not crashed, by Qatar beer ban A last-minute decision to ban the sale of alcohol at Qatar’s World Cup stadiums will seriously limit Budweiser sales in the Gulf state, but will not derail its owner’s global campaign during the tournament, industry analysts said. Soccer world governing body FIFA’s announcement of the ban on Friday, just two days before the event kicks […] November 20, 2022
Long read Business of Sport World Cup puts focus on Gulf’s business of sport and reputation On Sunday evening, Qatar will take on Ecuador in the opening game of the 2022 World Cup – and the eyes of the world will turn to the Gulf for four weeks. The final on December 18 is due to be watched by 80,000 fans in the Lusail stadium and a television audience that could […] November 20, 2022
Opinion Business of Sport This is a World Cup for the entire Middle East While the focus will be on host nation Qatar, Dubai will do particularly well out of the World Cup and the entire region will benefit November 19, 2022
Analysis World Cup 2022 Shops on target: Qatar retailers set for $1.2bn World Cup windfall Qatar’s retailers are tipped to be big winners at the 2022 World Cup. New forecasts for the tournament’s impact, compiled by Fitch Solutions, suggest that the sector can expect a $1.2 billion windfall in the fourth quarter. Fitch is predicting that the Fifa competition will drive a sharp rise in Qatar’s GDP growth from 1.5 […] November 19, 2022
