Qatar to Invest US$6 Billion on World Cup Infra

Despite possessing a strong World Cup pedigree and infrastructure, the US' bid was beaten by Qatar, who will host the 2022 competition despite having no current, recognizable infrastructure in place.

However FIFA, the governing body responsible for selecting the host countries, did take into consideration Qatar's economy, which is expected to grow by 15.5 percent this year and soar by 21 percent in 2011.

Qatar - a country smaller than Connecticut with a population of less than one million - will need to invest US6 billion and have to build from the roots up, investing heavily in new stadia and accompanying infrastructure like hotels and rail.

Top of the agenda will be rejuvenating three existing stadiums and building nine more, including a proposed 86,000 capacity Lusail Stadium which is expected to be completed by 2019 and is scheduled to host the opening and final matches. The 12 stadiums will be spread across seven cities. Due to Qatar's rising economy and population the country has already been investing billions on rail, air and road links.

By 2017, a new metro system that connects to each stadium should be in place.
The country is also set to invest heavily in its hotel and tourism infrastructure to cope with an influx of approximately 400,000 fans. The country currently has around 50,000 hotel rooms but bid leaders have promised that 95,000 will be available come 2022.

The biggest challenge to Qatar's bid was highlighted when FIFA officials toured the potential stadia sights and expressed concern about the intense Middle-East heat (the World Cup would fall within Qatar's two hottest months) and how it would affect players and fans. However bid organizers said that all the stadiums will be climate-controlled and zero carbon emitting to combat what could be temperatures as high as 50 degrees centigrade. Qatar also confirmed training facilities and fan areas would also be cooled with solar-powered air conditioning.

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