Riyadh, January 26 (QNA) - The Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC) participated in the second edition of the Municipal Investment Forum (FURAS) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

SCs Deputy Director General, Marketing, Communications and Event Experience Khalid Al Mawlawi said that the historical scene of the ending ceremony of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 last month embraces many years of continuous efforts in preparation for hosting the global event in an Arab country for the first time.

Al Mawlawi added that the World Cup journey started thirteen years ago, when Qatar surprise the world by officially submitting its file in 2009 in a step that seemed difficult to reach at that time. Qatar's file astonished everyone with its success and the dream came true and Qatar won the challenge that seemed impossible to reach.

Regarding Qatar's vision of organizing the tournament, he said: "We believed the time was right to bring the World Cup to the Arab world for the first time - to shed light on our culture and heritage, and change negative perceptions about the region. We provided a platform which united fans through their passion for football and offered a golden opportunity for a beautiful exchange of cultures." He added that Qatar stressed from the beginning that its host of the World Cup is not limited to organizing football matches for 29 days but exceeded that to benefit from the preparation journey to boost the development wheel in the country, as the global event accelerated the development in the country in all fields.

In this regard, Al Mawlawi pointed out that Qatar was keen from the beginning to include all the infrastructure projects needed for the World Cup in Qatar National Vision 2030 so that the tournament's projects would be included within the general strategy of infrastructure projects in all Qatar. "A huge number of infrastructure projects were accelerated due to the World Cup, including new expressways, the Doha Metro, the expansion of Hamad International Airport, and host of accommodation and entertainment facilities," said Al Mawlawi.

Al Mawlawi noted Qatar's unprecedent success during its years of preparation for the tournament, as seven World Cup stadiums were entirely built to host World Cup matches, while Khalifa International Stadium saw comprehensive development. He pointed out that the each stadium reflects the culture and heritage of Qatar and the region, which shows their pride of the ancestors and instills in future generations pride in the heritage of their country and the history of their ancestors.

He indicated that the stadiums represent a legacy for future generations as they are modern and developed edifices that meet the need of the society members, in line with the objectives of Qatar National Vision 2030, which aims to promote a healthy lifestyle for society.

These stadiums represent vibrant community destinations that allow individuals to practice sports and recreational activities.

SC's Deputy Director General, Marketing, Communications & Event Experience Khalid Al Mawlawi also touched on one of the most important features of the tournament, which is 'proximity', saying: "Qatar hosted the most compact edition of the FIFA World Cup in modern history. The longest distance between stadiums was just 75km, meaning fans, players, officials and the media were always in the thick of the action. Public transport was free during the tournament, with most fans using the Doha Metro, which was directly connected to five stadiums.

Al Mawlawi asserted that the impressive success achieved by Qatar in hosting the World Cup came as a result of the efforts made through lengthy years of hard work and accumulation of experiences gained through organizing numerous experimental events throughout the years preceding the event, to elevate operational processes in preparation for the World Cup, referring to the Gulf 24, two editions of the FIFA Club World Cup and the Arab Cup 2021 (first time held under FIFA banner) in addition to a number of final matches of HH the Amir Cup which have coincided with the inauguration of the World Cup Stadiums starting with announcing the readiness of the first World Cup stadium ; 'Khalifa International Stadium' in May 2017.

"I believe we have created a blueprint for how to host a mega event in a compact and sustainable way," said Al Mawlawi adding "The numbers behind the tournament are huge: 3.4 million tickets sold, 1.4 million visitors overall, 18.2 million journeys on the Doha Metro and Lusail Tram. More than 1.8 million people attended the FIFA Fan Festival. The final was watched by an estimated 3.5 billion viewers, while more than 5 billion people engaged with the tournament. The eyes of the world were on Qatar for the entire 29 days." Wrapping up, Al Mawlawi expressed hope that Qatar's success in hosting the World Cup would be an incentive for other Arab countries to organize major sporting events.

"I am pleased to reiterate what Qatar promised at the start of this journey which is that 2022 would be a tournament for all Arabs. These were the words of HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, during the inauguration of Khalifa International Stadium in 2017," said Al Mawlawi.

"There is no doubt that what the world witnessed in Qatar is an achievement for every Arab and I hope it becomes an inspiration to everyone to strive for seemingly impossible dreams," he added. (QNA)