World Cup 2022 in Qatar: Benefits and Possible Problems - Essay Example

WORLD CUP 2022 IN QATAR: BENEFITS AND POSSIBLE PROBLEMS By I. Intro: i. Nomination of Qatar to host the 2022 World Cup ii. Explanation of the essay’s focus iii. The reasons leading to the advantage and disadvantages II. Main part: i. Potential advantages a. Tourism b. Infrastructure c. Sports d. Recognition e. Economic gain ii. Potential problems a. Bribery claims b. Controlling weather c. New world slavery d. Sexual activities e. Alcohol iii. Potential solutions a. FIFA investigations b. Cooling stadia c. Revising immigration issues III. Conclusion: i. Summary of literature ii. Outcome to determine future World Cup venues Introduction 2022 will be the first time that the World Cup is hosted on Arab Soil. This is after Qatar’s bid to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup went through and saw it get the privilege of hosting the most popular sport on the planet. This was after numerous years of campaigning to be given the opportunity, particularly claiming that the idea would not only represent all Arab States, but also create a link between the Arabs and the West (Qatar International 2013, n.p.). As is the case with all major occurrences on the planet, this decision has been marred with numerous controversies especially with Qatar’s unique cultures which may present a different taste of the game as the world is accustomed to. The following study text will highlight the potential advantages that the World Cup is bound to award Qatar, in addition to the potential problems that may arise, and how Qatar is planning to address the said problems. Overview Unlike most of the previous World Cups which have been hosted across the continent from the Americas to Africa, the 2022 one will be held in a totally new environment; the Middle East. This is going to be unique because of not only cultural but also other factors such as weather and the facilities that will be provided. These are bound to make the 2022 game different, and some of these new elements may be negative and Qatar will have to address them lest their reputation be soiled with regards to the game (Al Thani 2014, n.p.). In short, the success of hosting the event will have a significant meaning to the Arab region and its favorability to be allowed to host the game in future. Potential advantages Tourism The first context of this gulf state which is bound to experience the most significant boost is the tourism sector. This is so because before, during and after the 2022 World Cup, Qatar will be a favorite tourist destination since its name is now in every traveler’s mouth as they look to have some association with the country hosting the world event (Holliday 2014, n.p.). As such, more people will visit it. This better places the country’s tourism vision which is to double its GDP chiefly through tourism. Currently, tourism contributes about 2.6% of the total GDP, and the rate is expected to hit 5.1% by 2030 (Zawya 2014, n.p.). Infrastructure Secondly, the infrastructure in Qatar is expecting a major refurbishing and upgrading since the FIFA policies regarding hosting of the event demand that certain standards of infrastructure should be met. These include sufficient and international-standard accommodation, top-notch security, comfortable and sufficient stadia, accessible roads within the hosting venues, and proof of enough feeding points for the overall expected numbers. These are bound to keep the fans and players comfortable (Property 2012, p.60). Due to this revelation, it is certain that Qatar will have to put up additional stadia and upgrade all other related infrastructure. Key amongst these is its airports which have to be altered to match the influx of passengers during the event. In short, the infrastructure in the country will never be the same after 2022. Sports The hosting country is required to have a team which can at least match the class of the qualifying teams. In short, it must have a good reputation in soccer. Due to this reason, the Qatar national football team will have to be composed of the best players and this will therefore mean that they need to put in as much as they can to their team so that it matches the other teams. The event is even much better when the hosting country has its team participating. It is therefore expected that the game will be nurtured in the best means possible so that the best players make up the Qatar World Cup team (Thornton 2011, p.733). Aside from soccer, the stadia which are being constructed or upgraded will attract other sports, and generally, Qatar will be better off in sports after the World Cup event. Recognition According to Horne and Manzenreiter (2013, p.166), all the states that host the World Cup benefit from the popularity which comes with the hype. This has happened before, with some states that had been not-so-popular before hosting emerged out of the event better recognized and opened up. The recognition provides channels for investors, tourists, and growth of popularity in the international context. This emerges because the World Cup is an international issue and is voiced from hemisphere to hemisphere. At the end of it all, Qatar will be better positioned in conducting business and other social activities at international level. Economic gain Apart from the fame that comes with the hosting of the World Cup, economic gains are an additional reason why countries strive to be nominated for hosting the World Cup. This is chiefly so because the event works like an investment; the country puts in the best of its economic ability, and the event pays it back, in multiplied revenues (Dobson & Goddard 2006, p.405). The evidence is stated the information previously stated. First of all, international recognition will announce to everyone that a great event is going down in Qatar. Second, tourists will start frequenting Qatar before, during, and after the event. Thirdly, the upgraded stadia, airports, and hospitality industry will be able to serve bigger widths of people, meaning more business for them. Concisely, it will be business climax for Qatar especially during the big event. If the returns collected during the World Cup are channeled such that the created standards are retained and that the hospitality extends, then Qatar will have acquired new ports through which significant revenue will continue to be collected. All in all, this will be an alternative or additional pillar through which Qatar can sustain and further its economy on. Its current central income earner is oil, or “black gold”, and if their plans flow as they aspire, then tourism may become an earner equivalent to the oil (Anil 2011, n.p.). Potential problems Bribery claims The problems for Qatar are emerging long before the 2022 event. The biggest of them all is that after it was announced that it had won the nomination to host the 2022 World Cup, allegations emerged that the selection process had not been fair. It was alleged that some participating personnel in the FIFA selection committee had been bribed into voting for Qatar. For instance in 2011, the UK parliamentary board heard from one Lord Triesman that Jack Warner from Tobago had asked for an education center in his country worth about 4 million US dollars as a return favor for supporting Qatar’s bid at the voting committee (Watson 2014, n.p.). Qatar has always denied these claims as investigations into the matter proceed. In its defense, it claims that rather than bribe its way up the ladder, Qatar has used its financial ability to campaign for itself. The reason why this matter seems so sensitive for Qatar is that in the event that it is proven guilty, it faces a potential revocation of the hosting allocation which will result in a revote. This will see the selection process repeated and may result in two results; humiliation or reselection for Qatar. Controlling weather As earlier mentioned, the 2022 World Cup will be hosted in a totally new environment [region] unlike the accustomed northern hemisphere. The summer in the northern hemisphere is usually favorable for outdoor activities. However in Qatar, there are temperature extremes which may attain 50 degrees Celsius. This temperature level is regarded as too high especially for tourists from the West who are used to cool weather (Miodownik 2014, n.p.). Temperature extremes may make them uncomfortable in addition to giving them skin disorders such as sunburn. The problem in this is that in the event that the temperature issue goes viral, there may arise an outburst of alarm from fans which may impact negatively on the 2022 event. For one, the turnout might be lower than expected or observed in previous World Cups. Second, the event may well proceed but the likelihood of ever hosting the game in such regions may diminish if the fans present significant claims of discomfort with the temperatures. Concisely, Qatar’s reputation for international hosting may be lowered. New world slavery Qatar is popular for its large labor imports. This is because there is insufficient labor within its minute population leading it to obtain workers from abroad with states such as Sri Lanka, Philippines and India contributing the highest numbers. The problem emerges from these imports which international human rights bodies have revealed that Qatar has been oppressing them by keeping them in the country against their will, withholding their payments, or revoking their visas so they cannot go back to their native countries (Beydoun & Baum 2012, p.60). In addition, most of them are hurt, mistreated, or killed by their employers without the authorities intervening. This is made worse by the revelation that approximately 4,000 immigrant workers may die between now and 2022 in preparing Qatar for the World Cup (Booth 2013, n.p.). In the light of this, there is a controversy surrounding this occurrence with the international community demanding that Qatar should either revise its immigration policies to be friendlier or have the hosting license revoked. The problem is that Qatar may not adhere to the demands since they play a key role in keeping the workers committed, protecting employers, and therefore sustaining the execution of duties. If they revise them, these trends may be reversed. On the other end, if they fail to comply, it may affect their reputation or lead to more controversies as the demands to have their license revoked. Sexual activities In the Arab world, sexual matters are highly restricted. This includes gays, prostitution, and suggestive dressing. In the west, these matters are merely regulated and in the recent World Cups, sexual matters such as prostitution are publicized with prostitutes flocking the World Cup cities in search of business. In the gulf region, the religion is widely Islamic and they do not tolerate prostitution, indecent dressing, and gay sex. This presents a problem; FIFA advocates for freedom and satisfaction of the attending fans, and is therefore likely to force Qatar to allow the above mentioned acts (Griffin 2014, n.p.). The problem here is the dilemma which the people of Qatar and particularly Muslims are bound to encounter. They are stationed in between protecting their morals or losing a one-time chance of hosting the gigantic world event. Alcohol Closely related to sexual activities is the issue of alcoholism. In the Muslim world, alcoholism is prohibited, and even in the few events when it is allowed, it should not be done in public, and females are not allowed to consume it. Finally, there are dedicated drinking spots such as restaurants, hotels, and clubs. The World Cup comes with different policies; the fans are allowed to drink whenever they feel like it, and it does not matter whether they are male or female. A complication again arises in that Qatar will be forced with the dilemma as to whether they will have to lay the rules down so as to adhere to FIFA’s demands, or risk their reputation by extending their rules to the World Cup. These might amongst other issues cause unrests as fans may protest at such rules. Potential solutions to the problems On the issue of having bribed its way into winning the FIFA nomination, Qatar has come out to strongly defend itself against them. In its defense it has maintained that it is based on strong values with regards to honesty and integrity, therefore banishing the said claims. Qatar finally resorted to letting FIFA probe the matter and deliver a verdict while maintaining it had nothing to worry about since it had adhered to the right procedures (cite). On matters of weather, Qatar is convincing the world that it can control the temperatures within the stadiums by using advanced technology. This will be done by harnessing solar energy and converting it to electricity used to condition the stadiums by normalizing the temperatures. They are also planning to use mist cooling to regulate the temperatures (cite). The sensitive issue of immigration policies is also being addressed by Qatar. They decided that they would look into their existing laws and make them as favorable as they can in ensuring that the imported labor force is comfortable. Such revisions include not revoking visas, paying their dues, and protecting them from exploitation using constitutional means. This will ensure that they are not mistreated or enslaved as claims have been purporting. There are however no resolutions provided yet regarding the issues of alcohol and sexual matters. It is possible that they are still finding the most appropriate ways to approach them without interfering with their culture. On the other hand, they must devise solutions which do not interfere with the preferences set by FIFA with regards to fan satisfaction and freedom. In short, the solutions being sought must neither oppress the natives nor clash with international preferences. Conclusion The above case study of the World Cup 2022 to be held in Qatar highlights both the advantages and disadvantages which loom over Qatar owing to its uniqueness as the hosting state for the 2022 World Cup. It is evident that upon its success, a World Cup event is expected to be advantageous to the host. These include economic boost and recognition which in this case may place Qatar in international highlights thus increase its social and economic stances. On the other end, it has some hurdles which need to be addressed before, during and after the big event. These include cultural barriers, weather, and geographical locations. It is going to be a unique World Cup, and upon the outcome from Qatar, future decisions regarding the awarding of the honor to host will largely depend on it. References Al thani, H 2014. “Qatar had the Strongest Bid for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Here’s Why.” The Guardian. Available at http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jun/20/why-qatar-had-strongest-bid-for-2022-fifa-world-cup [10 July, 2014]. Anil 2011. “World Cup 2022 Will Boost the Economy in Qatar.” Lex Arabiae. Available at http://lexarabiae.meyer-reumann.com/world-cup-2022-will-boost-the-economy-in-qatar/ [10 July, 2014]. Beydoun, N & Baum, J 2012. The glass palace: illusions of freedom and democracy in Qatar. New York, Algora Pub. Booth, R 2013. “Qatar World Cup Construction will Leave 4,000 Migrant Workers Dead.” The Guardian. Available at http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2013/sep/26/qatar-world-cup-migrant-workers-dead [10 July, 2014]. Dobson, S & Goddard J 2006. The economics of football. 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