Many of the world's leading authorities in event safety and security have gathered in Doha to continue safety and security preparations in relation to the 2022 FIFA World Cup™.

The 3rd Stadium Safety and Security Licensing and Certification Joint Advisory Group Expert Meeting was organised by Project Stadia – a ten-year partnership between Qatar, the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) and INTERPOL.

Project Stadia has two main objectives; firstly to support Qatar in its preparation for the 2022 FIFA World Cup™ and secondly to leave a lasting legacy for the world's law enforcement community involved in delivering major events.

Attendees included experts from national and international organisations, including leaders in the fields of stadium design, assurance and certification. Also among the delegates were professionals with significant experience in the development and delivery of standards and guidance material related to sporting event safety and security.

After opening remarks by Brigadier Ibrahim Al Mohannadi, Head of Consultancy Unit, Security Committee for the SC, and Falah Abdulla Al Dosari, Project Stadia Senior Manager, the workshop got underway as delegates were provided a detailed update on the progress being made across each of the proposed Qatar 2022 stadiums.

Brigadier Ibrahim said: "This is an important milestone as we progress with our preparations for the World Cup. These workshops allow us to tap into expertise from across the globe to develop our plans and share our good practices simultaneously."

Following that a series of presentations and discussions took place. Among the speakers were Mickel Lauritson, Stadium Manager at Liverpool Football Club, and Rick Riding, a stadium inspector with more than 30 years' experience in assessing readiness and granting licenses for major sporting venues.

On day two, delegates visited Khalifa International Stadium and held discussions with key stakeholders, including the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Municipality and Environment, Civil Defence, the ambulance service, Aspire Zone and the Qatar Football Association.

The workshop concluded on day three with a review of the lessons learned, before further sessions on subjects such as designers/developers' roles, the strategic involvement of governmental authorities and finally a workshop on inspecting stadiums for compliance.

Commenting on the workshop and its continued importance, Major Ali Mohammed Al Ali, the SC's Deputy Executive Director of Security, said: "We are delighted to welcome such a renowned group of international experts. One of Project Stadia's primary objectives has always been to allow and encourage leading figures from across the safety and security sectors to join together, share ideas and problems, and discuss solutions.

"Qatar is making tremendous progress as it works towards hosting the most memorable, safe and secure FIFA World Cup in the history of the tournament. Initiatives such as this, and regular workshops such as these – I am confident – will continue to play a vital role in helping us achieve these goals and leave a lasting legacy."

Project Stadia's Senior Manager, Falah Abdulla Al Dosari, of INTERPOL, stated: "Workshops such as these are excellent opportunities to bring the various stakeholders involved in major events together to talk about the challenges they're facing and what solutions we can identify to address those.

"The compact hosting plan is unique in terms of challenges, but it also creates lots of opportunities around security technology that can be leveraged after the tournament and become a force multiplier for the safety and security authorities."

In addition to continued collaboration, the SC Security Committee and Project Stadia have also established a training programme which results in participants being certified on an international level in relation to major event security.

The Stadia Knowledge Management System – a central hub and repository for best practices and virtual network of support for those delivering major events around the world – also went live in October.