During the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Qatar expects 1.2 million visitors. But the country is too small to accommodate everyone and the supporters have understood this.
The neighboring countries of Qatar also benefit (very) strongly from the World Cup which begins on November 20, 2022. Perhaps even more than Qatar. Indeed, according to a study by tourism data specialist Mabrian, while incoming flights at airports in the host country increase due to the presence of football fans, Qatar’s neighboring countries enjoy an even greater effect.
According to data as of November 8, the number of inbound flight seats for Qatar will increase by 25% during the World Cup celebration. That is 400,000 additional seats during this period, compared to last year.
However, the impact on air connectivity is greater for other countries in the Middle East. Kuwait will see its air capacity soar by 53%, while that of the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia will increase by 46% and 43% respectively during this period. As a result, 14.6 million inbound air seats are expected in the region for the duration of the event.
Qatar cannot accommodate everyone
The reasons are simple. With barely 30,000 rooms, Qatar does not have sufficient hotel infrastructure to accommodate all supporters. Many therefore had to find accommodation in neighboring countries. And they will therefore have to make air shuttles to go and see the matches. Thus, every ten minutes on average, 24 hours a day, planes will connect Dubai, Muscat in Oman, Riyadh and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait City, with the capital of Qatar, Doha. A few days after COP 27, there will therefore be 168 air shuttles (also called “ match day shuttles ”) per day. A disproportionate airlift…
Higher hotel prices in Doha, as well as Dubai’s more tolerant environment, especially for alcohol, also motivate some supporters, some observers say. In the United Arab Emirates, the hotel sector is almost full for the whole month of November. For their part, French tour operators are currently observing a surge in air and hotel prices in Dubai, which is affecting their sales. The United Arab Emirates are also down 23% in October, in the Orchestra barometer for the Tourist Echo, in business volume.
MSC Cruises as reinforcement
Overall, mobility between Qatar and its neighboring countries will increase significantly during this period. Indeed, 47% of new incoming seats in Qatar for this period come from Saudi Arabia (30%), the United Arab Emirates (11%) and Kuwait (6%). In total, this represents an additional 188,000 seats for regional air connectivity in the Middle East.
It should also be remembered that to compensate for the lack of rooms, the new flagship of MSC Cruises, the World Europa, will serve as a floating hotel for a month during the Football World Cup. He will anchor in an ultra-modern port but where the electrical connection does not allow the boat to be “connected”, at the quay…
