The upcoming FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 is getting closer and closer. And with it comes pleasant feelings, such as the excitement of witnessing the opening whistle, but also stressful ones, such as the anguish of knowing if there will be enough accommodation for the millions of fans that will gather in that Middle East country.
According to figures from the CEO of the Qatar 2022 organization, Nasser al-Khater, 3 million tickets for the World Cup are expected to go on sale. Of these, 2.5 million have already been sold, and the remaining 500,000 could end up in the next, and last, official ticket sales phase.
This ensures that the number of attendees to the upcoming FIFA World Cup will be high. Simply put, the Qatari government projected that more than 1 million visitors would enter the country for the soccer tournament. So, will there or will there not be enough accommodation during Qatar 2022?
The accommodation options of the official Qatar 2022 agency
Advertised since the beginning of 2022, the various accommodation options offered by the tournament’s official agency for the FIFA World Cup are expected to be sufficient. According to Al Jazeera, a source close to the Supreme Committee reportedly revealed that the organizers had blocked 80 percent of the hotels and accommodation options.
However, in addition to the remaining 500,000 tickets to be sold, Qatar 2022 could be attended by fans without tickets, which would undoubtedly complicate the supply of accommodation. This is where those who cannot find a place in the official agency’s hotels, appartments & villas, cruiseships and fan villages would need to be rescued.
Cruise Ship Hotel, Qatar 2022. (qatar2022.com)
Staying with local residents, the new option for Qatar 2022
At an event held at the Lusail Stadium, the imposing 80,000-capacity venue that will host the grand finale of the upcoming FIFA World Cup, the director general of the local organizing committee for the tournament, Yasir al Jamal, revealed that accommodation will be allowed in places other than those offered by the official agency, which would be approximately 130,000 accommodation spaces.
“We have done this to allow more people to apply for Hayya cards. In addition to this, we are also committed to ensure appropriate and affordable prices for fans starting at $80 that can change depending on the demand we see from fans,” stated Al Jamal according to Al Jazeera.
Qatar 2022, Fan Villages. (qatar2022.com)
The prices of staying with local residents during Qatar 2022
In one of the world’s most popular platforms for staying with local residents, Airbnb, the effects of this new type of accommodation have already been felt. Prior to the approval of this form of accommodation during the FIFA World Cup, the offers of rooms or residences were minimal and at exorbitant prices.
Now, when looking for accommodation in the host country of Qatar 2022, on the dates when the tournament will take place, the accommodation options have multiplied. That is the good news. The bad news is that many of them exceed the $80 per night that the tournament’s organizing committee had indicated would be the budgeted rate.
Thus, staying in residences offered by local residents in the downtown area of Doha, from where you have quick and constant access to most of the 8 stadiums where the 64 matches of the FIFA World Cup will be held, costs from $88 to $1,000 per night.
So, now you have it clear. If by chance you cannot find a place to stay during Qatar 2022 in the various options offered by the official agency of the tournament, you can resort to the offer of local residents, with the clarity that your bank account may be the big loser.
Qatar 2022 is ready to welcome fans around the world. (Christopher Pike/Getty Images)
