Hashim Al-Sayed, Qatari economist and president of the Association of Chartered Accountants, praised the organization of the 2022 World Cup in his country, underlining that the event is not only sporting, but also economic, social and cultural, which constitutes a milestone for Qatar, the Arab countries and the Middle East region.
According to the economist, Qatar has spent about 200 billion dollars on basic structures such as roads, bridges, ports, airports, subways, housing, tourism and free zones, as well as stadiums and advanced sports facilities, in addition to 8 stadiums according to the latest international standards.
Hashim Al-Sayed told the Qatari newspaper, Al-Raya, that his country is preparing to host around 1.2 million visitors during the World Cup, which will last for a month, while financial returns of around 17 billion are expected. dollars, which will create promising opportunities for various industries, including real estate, commerce, tourism, aviation, transportation and others.
Al-Sayed revealed that hotel bookings are seeing record numbers, as there are 30,000 rooms, around 43,000 beds and 128 hotels and 240,000 hospitality packages for the tournament.
The economist noted that the housing and rental sector has experienced an unprecedented boom since the beginning of this year, indicating notable increases in the rent of housing units ranging between 10% and 40%.
In its annual report, the Planning and Statistics Authority forecast Qatar’s economy to grow in the current year 2022 at between 1.6% and 2.9%, compared with a range between ‘1.5% and 2.3% in 2021, driven by improvement in most economic activities and Qatar hosting the 2022 World Cup.
The Qatar Tourism Authority had announced the opening of 50 new hotels during the current year, and the hospitality sector of Qatar has achieved positive returns, while the room supply is steadily increasing, registering 30,000 rooms up to the aforementioned month.
The prices of hotel reservations are also experiencing a significant increase, as we find 4 and 5 star hotels, the cost per night ranges from 3 to 5 thousand dollars and 2 and 3 star hotels range from 500 to 2000 dollars per night.
There are also cruise ships that will provide about 5,000 rooms for 9,500 people, as the Supreme Committee for Handover and Inheritance signed an agreement with the cruise ship company “MSC”, in order to charter two cruise ships for create a unique experience for enthusiasts in addition to desert tents.
Qatar has a target of 5 to 6 million tourists until 2030 and so far tourism revenues have increased by 45% in the first half of this year 2022.
