Accommodations And Problems Faced By Football Fans At Qatar World Cup

Paul Clegg is an England football fan, and for the past 25 years, he has traveled to various countries to witness the football World Cups. Now, he is looking forward to traveling to Qatar.

He wants to stay updated with England’s journey throughout the tournament and has purchased tickets for all their matches until the finals. The only challenge he is facing is his concerns about his accommodations for the tournament. He has booked a room for the first four nights, but due to the astronomical costs, he is worried about where he will be staying for the rest of his tour. Looking at the scenario, organizers are offering shared rooms in villas, fan villages, empty apartments, and traditional-style tents in the desert. Two cruise ships are also converted into floating hotels that will be anchored at the Doha port. All these accommodations will add up to 70,000 rooms for the visitors.

Photo/Pexels | Football fans are looking for economical accommodations for their stay in Qatar.

Preparations For The Accommodations

In a statement to the BBC, the country’s Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy said the Gulf state would deliver up to 130,000 rooms in time for the tournament. Despite the promises, visitors feel the accommodations are still pretty expensive. A budget-friendly option is the cabins that have been fabricated on the outskirts of Doha. They are priced at $207 per night, but many fans say they are not worth the money. Room rentals on Airbnb are also pretty expensive – around $200 per night at least. Fans say they didn’t face such problems back when the World Cup was in Brazil, but some have been looking for accommodations since April and haven’t had any luck. Surprisingly, the country did prepare for the World Cup and spent $200bn since it won the bid and was chosen to host the tournament. 

Aleksander/Pexels | Most football fans are considering staying in Dubai and flying to Qatar every match day.

Good News For Neighboring Countries

The lack of economical accommodation options has forced thousands of visitors to look for options outside Qatar. Many neighboring countries, such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, and Oman, will be running daily shuttle flights to the host country. Dubai has become a hot touring spot because of the World Cup as it will be operating 50 shuttle flights daily to Doha. Doha is less than an hour from Qatar, so most fans find Dubai a suitable option.

JESHOOTS/Pexels | FIFA fans are all geared up and can’t wait for the World Cup to begin.

One of the fans from the UK is staying in Dubai and plans to travel to the match destination on the match days. He is paying less than $100 for upmarket accommodation in the city. Despite the flight cost, he will still save a considerable amount. Despite the chaos, some fans like Paul still hope to find accommodations in Qatar. He feels by living in Qatar, he can get to enjoy the most of the World Cup than if he stays in another country. He wants to enjoy the environment and all other things associated with the World Cup and live this moment to the fullest by finding a place to stay in Qatar.