Qatar expects over two million visitors ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2022|Timo Al-Farooq|Public Domain Mark 1.0
Qatar is preparing for its first global mega event, FIFA World Cup 2022, with two million people set to visit the Arab country to witness the soccer extravaganza.
The first Middle-East country to host the event, Qatar is a conservative Muslim nation and has tight restrictions for its civilians. But hosting Western fans had the government ease some of its rules.
The challenge ahead
Not many are satisfied with the decision of hosting the global soccer event in Qatar, with former FIFA President Sepp Blatter saying, “It was a bad choice. And I was responsible for that as president at the time.”
The Gulf country has strict restrictions on alcohol consumption but has worked to set up open-air drinking zones ahead of the tournament. With the controversial ban on homosexuality, Qatar faced backlash from several entities.
The government and FIFA said the country welcomes people of different origins, sexual orientations, religions, and nationalities.
The FIFA World Cup 2022 begins on November 20, 2022, with 32 teams clashing to secure the World Cup Trophy.