The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) has been showcasing Qatar’s FIFA World Cup™ preparations during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) in Russia.

The SC is part of a significant delegation from Qatar, which is the special guest country at this year’s forum. SPIEF brings together industry experts and government officials to discuss key economic issues related to Russia, emerging markets and the world.

The SC’s booth in the Qatari pavilion highlights information about Qatar 2022, including the stadiums, legacy programmes and tournament infrastructure.

Meanwhile, Fatma Al Nuaimi, the SC’s Communications Executive Director, participated in a panel session titled, ‘The macro-economic and social impact of sport’. During the discussion, Al Nuaimi outlined the socio-economic impact of Qatar 2022.

“From the very beginning, it has been our intention to position Qatar 2022 as a mega-event which can build cultural bridges between our region and the rest of the world,” said Al Nuaimi. “Football’s power to unite is unmatched and we are determined to leverage that fact when we host the biggest single-sport event in the world in 2022.”

Al Nuaimi continued: “We believe Qatar 2022 will set new benchmarks for human, social, environmental and economic development. Thanks to our legacy programmes and other projects, we are already seeing the positive impact of hosting the tournament.”

Qatar has built seven stadiums from scratch for the tournament and brought forward the construction of a new metro and numerous expressways. All will support Qatar’s compact tournament plans. The longest distance between stadiums will be just 75km in 2022, while fans will have the chance to attend more than one match a day during the early stages of the tournament. Players will fly into one airport and stay in one accommodation, helping them to remain in peak condition throughout the event, which will kick off on 21 November 2022.

Al Nuaimi went on to say Qatar 2022 has the potential to unite billions of people after the hardships caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Sport – and particularly football – unites everyone. I am delighted to say that we are well on track with our preparations, with infrastructure projects reaching 95% completion. We hope our tournament is the light at the end of the tunnel for many people after the pandemic. We look forward to welcoming the world in 2022 and putting on a show that fans will fondly remember for decades to come.”