Remote for civil servants, sobering-up stations for fans and permission for LGBT flags: how Qatar is preparing to host the 2022 World Cup

A little more than a month remains before the start of the World Cup in Qatar, which will be the first such tournament held in the Middle East.

And preparations for it are in full swing.

According to media reports, the country spent about €208 billion on hosting the 2022 World Cup, which is 16 times more than Russia needed to organize the tournament in 2018 (€13 billion).

At the same time, according to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the organizing committee of the competition is actively cooperating with domestic specialists.

“Everything that we can in terms of transferring the experience of preparing for the World Cup, we are also doing, you know this, we now had the opportunity to talk about it.

And I want to wish you success in holding this major event.

I am sure that this will be the case, ”Putin said at a meeting with the Emir of Qatar in Astana.

In turn, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani thanked Russia for the assistance provided and noted that he was proud of the relations between the countries.

After all, holding a tournament in the Middle East is associated with a large number of not only infrastructural, but also religious features.

However, the country tried to find compromises on all key issues as much as possible.

Load on the airport and remote work for civil servants

If we talk about infrastructure, then the biggest problem on the eve of the 2022 World Cup is the work of Hamad International Airport.

The number of flights to Qatar will more than double in the near future - from 700 to 1.6 thousand per day.

And managers believe that it is a very difficult task to master such traffic and ensure security at the proper level.

According to the Daily Mail, management is now recruiting additional staff.

At the same time, people are hired without the necessary training.

Beginners are trained for 20-30 hours, which, according to experienced employees, is not enough to get acquainted with the layout of the airport.

We also had to take drastic measures: to cancel all vacations planned from August to the end of December.

In addition, employees during this period are prohibited from changing jobs.

At the same time, the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority is trying to dispel all doubts regarding the problems with the operation of the airport.

Thanks to the upgraded systems, it will be able to handle 100 takeoffs or landings per hour, more than the expected peak of 80 flights per hour during the World Cup, according to the organization.

In a country with a population of 2.8 million people, about 1.5 million fans are waiting - 95% of tickets for the tournament have already been sold, so not only the airport, but also roads and public places will be heavily loaded.

To reduce it as much as possible, the Qatari authorities decided to cut the working day for civil servants by half, to four hours.

According to the new schedule, they will live from November 1 to December 19.

At the same time, 80% of employees will switch to remote work and only 20% should be in offices.

The law does not apply to healthcare institutions, education, military and security services, as well as private companies.

In addition, according to the instructions of the Ministry of Education of Qatar, schoolchildren will be sent on vacation during the World Cup.

Children will have a rest from November 20 to December 22.

Beer and sobering-up stations for fans

A rather painful topic for the organizers of the 2022 World Cup is the sale of alcohol.

Drinking alcohol in public places in Qatar, where Islam is the state religion, is strictly prohibited.

For this violation, you can get a fine of 3,000 local rials (€820) and even go to jail for six months.

However, Budweiser became a major sponsor of the football tournament, so an exception had to be made for it.

Beer for ticket holders for the 2022 World Cup matches will be sold within three hours before the start of the games and for another hour after they end.

But it will appear not in the stands of the stadiums, but next to them - in specially designated places.

Only soft drinks are allowed inside the arenas.

You can also buy beer in the fan zones.

However, there is also a time limit here: the sale is allowed from 18:30 to one in the morning.

Thus, fans will have to watch the daytime matches of the group stage with juice and cola.

At the same time, fans will also not be able to bring alcoholic drinks with them.

They are confiscated by the customs services during the inspection of luggage.

Despite all these restrictions, in Qatar they are sure that there will be enough drunks.

Therefore, it is planned to organize special sobering-up stations in the country.

According to Nasser Al-Khater, CEO of the 2022 World Cup organizing committee, people there will be sure that they are safe and will not harm anyone else.

Long skirt for women

Great attention in Qatar is also paid to the behavior of fans coming to the country.

Especially for them, the rules for staying in the country and recommendations are published on 16 pages.

For example, when entering the house of a local resident, one should first of all greet the oldest person and those who have a “higher status”.

Qatari women are asked not to hug or touch, they are allowed to greet them verbally and keeping a certain distance.

It is not recommended to shake hands with citizens of the country, especially girls - it is unpleasant for them.

You can't stare at other people in public.

Such behavior is considered rude.

Also, do not sit with your legs crossed.

And things, if a Qatari holds them out to you, you need to take them exclusively with your right hand.

"Public display of affection" for a partner is permitted, as long as it remains moderate.

At the same time, you need to refrain from flirting, it is also on the list of prohibitions.

Visitors to the country are asked not to turn on loud music during the calls to prayer, which occur five times a day.

No law requires women to wear a veil except in the mosque.

However, they should wear long trousers or skirts and clothing that covers the chest and neck, the guidelines say.

T-shirts and sleeveless shirts, short dresses or skirts, tops are strictly prohibited for girls.

Also, clothing should not be too translucent or tight-fitting.

Men are allowed to wear shorts that cover their knees.

It is recommended not to wear tight jeans or trousers, sports shorts.

You can't walk bare-chested.

Jewelry other than a watch or wedding ring is considered inappropriate.

If any object belongs to a religion other than Islam, it is asked to be removed under clothing.

Rainbow flags for the LGBT community

Representatives of the LGBT community are especially worried about the restrictions.

For example, midfielder “Adelaide” Joshua Cavallo is worried that in Qatar proper security will not be provided to minorities.

In his opinion, next time FIFA should take into account their rights when choosing countries that host the World Cup.

At the same time, according to the organizers, it is allowed to use rainbow flags during the tournament, and you can also demonstrate your feelings within reasonable limits.

In particular, holding hands.

As Nasser Al-Khater emphasized, the fans just have to respect the culture of the country they are going to.

With regard to the OneLove armbands, which the captains of England, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and Wales intend to wear in protest against all types of discrimination, they will be banned, as FIFA regards them as a political action, and it is inappropriate at a sporting event.

However, without it, it seems, in the modern world is now indispensable.

Representatives of the Danish team have already announced that they will go to Qatar without their wives and relatives in protest against the violation of human rights in the country.