Opinion Business of Sport Hosting the Olympics is set to be a marathon for Gulf bidders If Qatar and Saudia Arabia bid for 2036 they face a race against time to train medal-winning talent July 29, 2024
Opinion Business of Sport Gulf countries vie to add Olympics to the trophy cabinet Qatar and Saudi Arabia are keen to bid despite sky high costs July 22, 2024
Opinion Business of Sport Qatar faces tough rivals in fight for sporting dominance Qatar must build on its football World Cup success and has rugby and the Olympics in its sights May 9, 2024
Video length: 01:02 VIDEO Tourism Saudi tourism scores big with Lionel Messi video Global Google searches for “Saudi tourism” shot up at the weekend after tourism bosses in the kingdom released a new promotional video starring footballer Lionel Messi. The campaign, which is being launched in markets including Europe, India and China, focuses on overturning common misconceptions about Saudi Arabia. The video has been watched by 50 million […] January 30, 2024
Business of Sport Saudi Arabia to host 2034 World Cup Saudi Arabia is to be formally declared as the host of the 2034 Fifa World Cup after Australia said on Tuesday – the final day for bids – that it would not submit an application. Football Australia said in a statement that it had decided to focus instead on bids for the 2026 Women’s Asian […] October 31, 2023
Tourism Qatar exceeds 2022 tourism figures in just eight months The number of tourists in Qatar this year has exceeded the figure for the whole of 2022, with officials saying that hosting the Fifa World Cup has put the Gulf state on the map. Qatar Tourism data revealed that the country has welcomed more than 2.5 million visitors as of the last week in August. […] September 5, 2023
Trade Qatar kicks back after post-World Cup slump There has been a rise in international companies considering a move to Qatar following a post-World Cup slump. Experts believe the spike in interest is partly due to the UAE’s decision to introduce corporate tax as well as an update to Qatar’s Single Window system, which was launched in 2019 to help companies set up […] August 31, 2023
Economy Qatar’s non-oil sector up but real estate slows Business conditions for Qatar’s non-oil private sector continued to improve in July. However there was a lack of demand for real estate following previous growth in construction that was linked to the Fifa World Cup. Output, new orders, employment and purchasing all expanded, with Qatar’s latest Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) reaching 54.0 in July, up […] August 7, 2023
Economy Qatar’s private sector activity slows after World Cup boost Business activity in Qatar’s private sector cooled in January after its World Cup bounce. The first Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) survey for 2023 posted a correction to 45.7 in January, from 49.6 in December, as activity and new work slowed following the tournament, which ran from November 20 to December 18 last year. It was […] February 6, 2023
Exclusive Business of Sport Alcohol u-turn led to peaceful World Cup, says Fifa security chief Violent clashes between football fans and police, similar to those seen at the Euro 2016 tournament in France, were absent from the Qatar World Cup, and one of the reasons, according to the head of security at organiser Fifa, was the decision to reduce the consumption of alcohol. With two days to go before the […] January 28, 2023
Economy Qatar World Cup fuels spike in private sector optimism Optimism among non-oil private sector companies in Qatar has risen to a 29-month high following the impact of the Fifa World Cup on the country’s economy. Post-tournament business opportunities and an expected permanent boost to tourism were cited by companies polled in the latest purchasing managers’ index (PMI) survey data from Qatar Financial Centre. The […] January 4, 2023
Analysis Business of Sport Brand Qatar’s legacy once the last World Cup fan has gone home Strolling down Lusail Boulevard on a warm December evening, foreign fans who have lingered on after the World Cup to enjoy some winter sun pause to chat with local vloggers about their lasting impressions of Qatar. “Impressed” is a word they use frequently. “Hospitality” and “generosity” are mentioned often. One pedestrian describes with delight how […] December 22, 2022
Analysis Business of Sport Qatar 2022: The making of a sports nation From Formula 1 to the 2030 Asian games, Qatar’s hosting of a series of major events before and after the World Cup has reinforced its role in the global sporting diary. Having built eight stadiums for the 2022 tournament, the Gulf state now boasts an infrastructure that will make it a go-to location for many […] December 19, 2022
Food & Drink Dubai restaurants report tasty boost from World Cup Dubai restaurants have seen revenues rise by an average of 20 percent during the World Cup, with increased deliveries to homes and offices. “We had anticipated a 20 percent increase in business during [the World Cup] and we are more or less achieving it,” said Sanjay Vazirani, CEO of Foodlink Global Restaurants and Catering Services. […] December 16, 2022
Analysis World Cup 2022 Qatar 2022 more about long-term legacy than short-term gains Once the last ball has been kicked, the final whistle blown and the gold trophy held aloft in Lusail Stadium on December 18, the world’s attention will move on from Qatar. But the tournament’s economic legacy will take longer to emerge. The history of World Cups and Olympic Games is littered with unmet promises and […] December 16, 2022
Analysis Aviation Private jet demand to Doha soars despite World Cup price hikes Private jet operators have reported a massive surge in demand for flights to Doha during the World Cup, despite the rise in operating costs caused by the high number of aircraft flying in and out of the Qatari capital. “So far, the World Cup has been an incredibly exciting — albeit intensely busy time — […] December 14, 2022
Opinion Tourism Morocco’s World Cup journey must be capitalised upon National football team's success can inspire wider opportunities December 13, 2022
Retail Japanese sports brand Asics kicks off Gulf expansion in Doha Japanese sports brand Asics has signed a deal with the UAE’s Apparel Group to develop branded retail stores across the Gulf. The five-year franchise agreement will see the rollout of 20 stores in Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Bahrain, with the first outlet opening in Doha Festival City Mall this week. Commenting on […] December 13, 2022
World Cup 2022 ‘Made-in-Sialkot’ Adidas ball puts Pakistan in the World Cup Even though it is a cricket-mad nation, Pakistan is playing a big part in theWorld Cup by making the balls used on the training fields in Qatar and the replicas sold to fans worldwide. Forward Sports, a multinational sports equipment company in the northeastern city of Sialkot, has been working with Adidas for almost 20 […] December 9, 2022
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
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
