DOHA: Qatar faced a lot of unfair criticism over its hosting of the FIFA World Cup that was not based on facts, but it responded to any fair criticism, says Qatar 2022 chief executive Nasser Al Khater said Thursday.
He told a press conference, the first held by the organizers in months, that 70 days before the tournament kicked off, sports and transport infrastructure in the small desert country had been completed and that works remaining were “cosmetic”.
The decision to hold the World Cup in Qatar, the first country in the Middle East to host the event, has drawn criticism from human rights groups over the Gulf state’s treatment of foreign migrant workers and restrictive social laws, under which homosexuality and sex outside marriage are prohibited. outlaw.
“We believe that much of the criticism has been unfair and not based on factual reality. Whatever criticism we believe to be fair, we have taken it on board,” Khater said.
He spoke at the Lusail stadium, which will host the World Cup final. The 80,000 capacity arena will host a capacity crowd Friday for the first time for the Lusail Supercupthe last big test event in preparation for the World Cup.
World Cup organizers ignored questions about how Qatar’s security authorities would deal with fans who broke laws such as smuggling alcohol into stadiums or violence.
They also did not provide details on which countries would send police or soldiers to Qatar to help secure the tournament which begins on November 20.
More than one million fans are expected at the event, many of them flying in or driving in from neighboring Gulf states.
Doha has spent years improving its infrastructure in the run-up to the World Cup, including building seven new stadiums, a metro system and new highways. Khater said the cost of the Qatar World Cup was “equal or lower” than the last three.
He told a press conference, the first held by the organizers in months, that 70 days before the tournament kicked off, sports and transport infrastructure in the small desert country had been completed and that works remaining were “cosmetic”.
The decision to hold the World Cup in Qatar, the first country in the Middle East to host the event, has drawn criticism from human rights groups over the Gulf state’s treatment of foreign migrant workers and restrictive social laws, under which homosexuality and sex outside marriage are prohibited. outlaw.
“We believe that much of the criticism has been unfair and not based on factual reality. Whatever criticism we believe to be fair, we have taken it on board,” Khater said.
He spoke at the Lusail stadium, which will host the World Cup final. The 80,000 capacity arena will host a capacity crowd Friday for the first time for the Lusail Supercupthe last big test event in preparation for the World Cup.
World Cup organizers ignored questions about how Qatar’s security authorities would deal with fans who broke laws such as smuggling alcohol into stadiums or violence.
They also did not provide details on which countries would send police or soldiers to Qatar to help secure the tournament which begins on November 20.
More than one million fans are expected at the event, many of them flying in or driving in from neighboring Gulf states.
Doha has spent years improving its infrastructure in the run-up to the World Cup, including building seven new stadiums, a metro system and new highways. Khater said the cost of the Qatar World Cup was “equal or lower” than the last three.