Qatar has a population of around 30 lakh (almost the same as Manipur) and an area of about 11,500sqkm (around half of Manipur). Little wonder that there was scepticism when it won the bid for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. How could it house the teams and fans, asked critics. After all, the average attendance at World Cups is more than the population of Qatar!
But, the tiny, cash-rich country has made room-rooms, to be precise. Over 100 new hotels have been built. The Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC), the local organizing body, has tied up with French hospitality giant Accor to manage accommodation. In addition to hotels, there are fan villages, apartments, villas, desert camps, and cruise ships which will allow Qatar to avoid adding too many permanent rooms. The tariff ranges from QAR 250 to QAR 3,000. With the Qatari riyal hovering close to ₹23, that would translate to between 75,600 to 67,000 per night.
The fan villages comprising tents and cabins will come up on the outskirts of Doha, and will have 24/7 public transport links. Each cabin will have two rooms; each room will have two beds and basic amenities, including a refrigerator, free Wi-Fi, and house-keeping. General facilities for each village include food stalls, big screens to watch matches, a fitness centre, tennis court, and a 24/7 help desk.
The fan villages currently available are Cabins Zafaran, Cabins Ras Bo Fondasil and Cabins Rawdat Al Jahhaniya. Zafaran is north of Doha's Lusail City, Ras Bo Fondasil is 6km from Hamad International Airport and Rawdat Al Jahhaniya is close to the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium. These cabins cost QAR 740 a night for single accommodation (around ₹16,600).
The tents-traditional Bedouin style will come up in the deserts around Doha. Out of the 1,000 or so tents, 200 will be luxury segment, said Omar Al Jabar, head of accommodation, SC.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
William Dalrymple goes further back
Indian readers have long known William Dalrymple as the chronicler nonpareil of India in the early years of the British raj. His latest book, The Golden Road, is a striking departure, since it takes him to a period from about the third century BC to the 12th-13th centuries CE.
The bleat from the street
What with all the apps delivering straight to one’s doorstep, the supermarkets, the food halls and even the occasional (super-expensive) pop-up thela (cart) offering the woke from field-to-fork option, the good old veggie-market/mandi has fallen off my regular beat.
Courage and conviction
Justice A.M. Ahmadi's biography by his granddaughter brings out behind-the-scenes tension in the Supreme Court as it dealt with the Babri Masjid demolition case
EPIC ENTERPRISE
Gowri Ramnarayan's translation of Ponniyin Selvan brings a fresh perspective to her grandfather's magnum opus
Upgrade your jeans
If you don’t live in the top four-five northern states of India, winter means little else than a pair of jeans. I live in Mumbai, where only mad people wear jeans throughout the year. High temperatures and extreme levels of humidity ensure we go to work in mulmul salwars, cotton pants, or, if you are lucky like me, wear shorts every day.
Garden by the sea
When Kozhikode beach became a fertile ground for ideas with Manorama Hortus
RECRUITERS SPEAK
Industry requirements and selection criteria of management graduates
MORAL COMPASS
The need to infuse ethics into India's MBA landscape
B-SCHOOLS SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT INDIAN ECONOMY IS GOING TO WITNESS A TREMENDOUS GROWTH
INTERVIEW - Prof DEBASHIS CHATTERJEE, director, Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode
COURSE CORRECTION
India's best b-schools are navigating tumultuous times. Hurdles include lower salaries offered to their graduates and students misusing AI
