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Despite steep obstacles, Qatar wins 2022 World Cup bid

(Agencies)
Updated: 2010-12-03 11:45

People celebrate in front of a screen that reads "Congratulations Qatar" after FIFA announced that Qatar will be host of the 2022 World Cup in Souq Waqif in Doha, Dec 2, 2010. [Photo/Agencies]

DOHA - Summer temperatures which can soar to above 50 degrees Celsius and a concern about lack of infrastructure did not deter FIFA from awarding the 2022 World Cup to the tiny Gulf state of Qatar.

The Middle East has never before hosted a major global sporting event and Qatar's win on Thursday will do much to boost the region's global profile, analysts said.

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FIFA voters were likely to have been swayed by Qatar's hefty financial prowess as for the world's largest exporter of liquefied natural gas money is no object.

The country's economy, forecast to grow by 15.5 percent this year, is expected to soar a staggering 21 percent in 2011, allowing Qatar to pour as much cash as necessary into preparations for 2022.

It is likely to spare no expense in constructing stadiums for the event. The ultra-modern Lusail Stadium, which has yet to be built, will host the opening and final matches.

With a capacity of 86,000 and surrounded by water, it will take four years to build and is expected to be completed by 2019.

Under the proposals submitted to FIFA, Qatar would renovate three stadiums and build nine new ones, with the 12 stadiums divided among seven host cities.

The total cost of the construction and renovation would be around $3 billion, the bid estimates. It submitted a budget of $645.5 million to run the Confederations Cup in 2021 and the World Cup the following year. It projects a total number of 2,869,000 tickets will go on sale.