With just under three years until the world's most anticipated sporting event comes to life, Qatar witnessed an exhilarating two months of footballing spirit when it hosted the 24th edition of the Arabian Gulf Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup™.

The two events saw success on both the organisational level and fan experience, giving the football-mad world a taste of what's to come in 2022. Careful planning, hard work and passion were key elements to the realisation of both events, but none of it would have been possible without our volunteers.

A total of 1,456 volunteers from Qatar, the region and the world worked tirelessly to support the Local Organising Committee (LOC) deliver the tournaments over 26 days. This one-of-a-kind opportunity provided them with bespoke skills and the necessary experience for the FIFA World Cup™ in 2022.

Volunteers worked in various functional areas including communications, marketing, event services, transportation, security, media, branding and promotion, fan engagement, ticketing, accommodation, logistics, crowd management, hospitality, accreditation and medical services.

The volunteers came from Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, Jordan, Morocco, Palestine, Lebanon, Sudan, Tunisia, Algeria, Iran, the UK and Mexico.

Abdulrahman Mahmoud Mohammed was one of the volunteers. He said: "During the Gulf Cup and Club World Cup, I was the head of the media volunteers department. Our job was to ensure that the needs of media personnel, namely journalists and photographers, were met."

Mohammed continued: "Preparation and training were crucial. We ensured all volunteers were well briefed and given the necessary training to make them ready when on the ground – prepared to tackle any challenges ahead."

On his decision to volunteer, Mohammed explained he wanted to gain more experience and meet new people in order to support his current job as a public relations specialist.

"My volunteering experience was incredible. It enriched me with an abundance of experience, ignited my determination and will, and offered me the chance to exchange and learn about different cultures thanks to working in a diverse team."

Fatima Al Shammari, who was a volunteer leader during the tournaments, saw the opportunity as a chance to gain experience in project management, communication and conflict management.

"I was involved in the whole recruitment process, including the early stages of the volunteer selection process. We had to accomplish all this according to stitched deadlines and deliver work of the highest quality."

Al Shammari continued: "For me personally, I was grateful for this opportunity to gain new friends and be part of such a unique event that delivers a unique experience. I don't think anywhere in the world could have delivered an experience like this and provided the same opportunities for development that I've had over the last few months."

For the purposes of the tournament, volunteers were selected on their availability, educational background, language skills, motive to volunteer and previous volunteering experience.

In preparation for the tournaments, the selected volunteers underwent a series of inductions, workshops and training programmes in an effort to familiarise them with the tasks at hand.

Speaking on this initiative, Rasha Al Qarni, the LOC's HR Director, commended the volunteers on their tremendous efforts during the tournaments.

"All our organisational plans were implemented smoothly thanks to the endless support of our volunteers," said Al Qarni. "Perhaps one of the greatest successes was seeing people from different nations coming together, working as one to deliver a thrilling football festival for all the fans."

On preparing the volunteers for the tournaments, Al Qarni said: "Training and development opportunities show volunteers that we value their time and effort. It helps them understand our goals and expectations. At the same time, it equips them with the right set of skills, competencies and motivation to deliver amazing. And that is what we witnessed during the tournaments."

Qatar firmly believes in the integral role volunteers play on the road to 2022. As such, the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy launched its volunteering programme in September 2018 calling on all those interested to partake in supporting the FIFA World Cup 2022™. Since the programme's inception, the SC has received more than 265,000 applications from individuals registering their interest.

If you are interested in joining our journey to delivering the first FIFA World Cup™ in the Middle East and Arab world, click here.