ABSTRACT
FIFA sent shockwaves through the football world on 2 December 2010 when it selected Qatar as the host of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, beating out the United States, Australia, Japan, and South Korea. A key part of Qatar’s successful bid was the fact that the Middle East had yet to host the World Cup. Another part of the successful bid was the nine new proposed stadia, plus three renovated stadia, at a cost of US$4 billion – this is only for the capital budget (sportcal.com, 2010). Ten of the 12 stadia are to be set within a 30 km radius, making access to multiple matches on the same day possible for ticket holders. The stadia are inspired by, among other things, marine animals, “dhow” (local fishing boats), a local old fort, and traditional Arabian tents (Sports Illustrated, 2010). The top tiers of the modular-built stadia bowls are proposed to be dismantled and sent to developing countries. In the summer, Qatar’s temperatures can reach 50°C. To mitigate against such extreme temperatures for the players and spectators, Qatar proposes to have all of its venues be air conditioned so that spectators and players enjoy a comfortably 27°C environment (Bisson, 2010). The question remains: how will these open-air stadia be cooled? The answer, apparently, is solar-powered, carbon-neutral cooling equipment. How (and if ) this will be implemented remains to be seen.
