The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) has sent an official delegation of more than 180 people to learn from the final FIFA World Cup™ before Qatar hosts the tournament in 2022.

The delegation includes 120 people from the SC – the organisation responsible for delivering the infrastructure required for the 2022 FIFA World Cup™ – along with employees from numerous stakeholders, including Ashghal, Hamad Medical Corporation, Kahramaa, the Ministry of Interior, Qatar Football Association, Qatar Rail, QNB Stars League and Qatar Tourism Authority.

Delegates are taking part in observation, shadowing and secondment programmes during the tournament, which runs until 15 July. Participants are spread across 11 Russian cities, where they are tasked with gathering knowledge and compiling lessons learned in preparation for Qatar's FIFA World Cup™, which will kick off on 21 November 2022.

A number of delegates are working closely with the Russia 2018 Local Organising Committee, while others are shadowing their counterparts in FIFA.

Nasser Al Khater, the SC's Assistant Secretary General for Tournament Affairs, described the trip as a vital learning opportunity.

"Russia 2018 offers a unique and final opportunity to learn about the planning, preparation and delivery of a FIFA World Cup before we host in 2022," said Al Khater.

"It is vitally important we compile best practices on every aspect of the tournament and bring the knowledge back to the country. Our delegation will also be using this opportunity to serve as ambassadors for Qatar and spread the message of what fans, teams and officials can expect from the first FIFA World Cup in the Middle East."

Dr Sakis Batsilas, the SC's Tournament Operations & Planning Executive Director, said: "In Russia our employees and stakeholders are learning about the complexity of delivering a FIFA World Cup. This is a golden opportunity to build and develop our event and football competition knowledge, enhance operational expertise and event readiness, and increase collaboration with key stakeholders."

The programmes are designed to cover stadium and host city operations, and engage with the key stakeholders who will play a crucial role in the delivery of Qatar's tournament. The observation programmes are taking place in four cities: Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Sochi and Kazan. The shadowing and secondment programmes are being held across the 11 host cities, while the FIFA Management Observation Programme and Security Programme are both taking place in Moscow.

Post-Russia, all attendees will compile a detailed report, complete a survey and submit photos and videos from their experience. They will also attend a post-event workshop in early 2019, which will finalise and present the key learnings from the trip.