QF to support SC in developing Qatar 2022 visitor experience

Qatar Foundation (QF) is to support the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) as it develops the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ visitor experience that will promote the nation to a global audience, through a new and wide-ranging collaboration.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two organizations has outlined how QF will be central to delivering the Q22 Visitor Experience Project, which – through physical and digital elements – aims to ensure football fans from around the world have a memorable stay in Qatar when the nation hosts one of the world’s greatest sporting tournaments.

The agreement, signed at today’s I AM QF event at Qatar National Convention Centre, maps out many areas in which QF and the SC will work together in the build-up to the tournament. They include providing sensory rooms in stadiums, air quality management, single-use plastic reduction campaigns and using smart technology for crowd monitoring and control.

The agreement was signed by Machaille Al-Naimi, President of Community Development, QF, alongside Yasir Al Jamal, Chairman of the Operations Office and Vice Chairman of the Technical Delivery Office at the SC. Also in attendance were Her Excellency Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani, Vice Chairperson and CEO of Qatar Foundation, and His Excellency Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary General of the SC.

Mrs. Al-Naimi said: “The FIFA World Cup 2022™ is a pivotal chapter in the story of Qatar, creating unprecedented excitement and opportunity for the entire nation.

“As an organization that recognizes how sport has the capacity to inspire and transform, Qatar Foundation is committed to supporting the preparations for, and the hosting of, this global showcase of sporting excellence. We are delighted to now be expanding our network of collaboration with the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, sharing our expertise, resources, and facilities to help ensure the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ is a truly unforgettable experience for the people of Qatar, the Arab region, and the world.

Mr. Al Jamal said: “Signing this MoU cements the already strong relationship between the SC and Qatar Foundation – one of our key stakeholders – and the strength of our combined efforts in preparation for the world’s most anticipated sporting event, which will be held in the Middle East and Arab world for the first time in 2022.

“We look forward to continuing to work hand-in-hand with Qatar Foundation on various projects that will benefit the local community both in the lead-up to Qatar 2022 and after the tournament has been completed.”

Under the agreement, collaboration between QF and the SC’s flagship CSR program Generation Amazing (GA) will include the potential for a Generation Amazing Community Club to be established at Education City. GA will be working with QF Pre University Education to train PE teachers on GA football for development (F4D) modules to be rolled out in QF schools and the wider community. The annual Generational Amazing Festival, celebrating the transformative power of football and first held in 2019 at QF’s Oxygen Park, will continue to take place at QF, with its second edition being planned for a December 2020 launch in collaboration with QF Community Engagement.

Through its B4Development initiative, the SC will establish a behavioral sciences lab at QF partner university Georgetown University in Qatar; introduce behavioral science workshops in QF schools; conduct behavioral experiments with QF universities, schools, and staff; and deliver academic courses and workshops on behavioral economics and public policy with QF universities and entities.

A strategic partnership between QF and the SC’s Josoor Institute will include educational and training programs, and possible joint research projects in fields related to the region’s sport and events industries. Opportunities for QF to host FIFA groups, venue operation teams, and media at Education City before, during, and after the tournament will also be explored.