The country’s latest bid to host the games stands on track record as successful hosts and cross-border legacy promises.
Qatar is in talks with the International Olympic Committee to stage the 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games in what will be the first for a Middle Eastern country, should the bid come to fruition.
The Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) confirmed that it is participating in “ongoing discussions with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as part of the new Host City election process for the 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games” on Tuesday.
This is the first time that the country’s Olympic committee has made its intent of bidding for the 2036 event official, which Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani, Qatar Foundation’s vice chairperson, had termed as “no secret” at the Olympism365 Summit in June.
Qatar’s engagement in the dialogue seeks to promote “mutual understanding and peace among nations”, said Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, the QOC President, who will now also serve as the Chair of the bidding committee.
“We have made sport a central pillar of our national strategy, and today, we aspire to elevate that role regionally and globally by presenting a new model – one that reflects the diversity of our region and celebrates its authentic human values,” he said in a statement.
Doha will hope third time will prove to be a charm after facing disappointments twice in its efforts to host the 2016 and 2020 games.
Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, soon endorsed the development, calling it a “new milestone” in the country’s journey.
“Should Qatar be granted the honour of hosting this global event, it would become the first country in the Middle East and North Africa to host the Olympic Games — a testament to its readiness, advanced organisational capabilities, and wealth of operational and technical expertise,” Sheikh Mohammed said via Qatar News Agency.
‘Over 95 per cent’ infrastructure already complete
The majority of the sports infrastructures required to stage the summer Games already exist and are operational, according to QOC.
“We currently have 95 per cent of the required sports infrastructure in place to host the Games,” Sheikh Joaan, who recently declared to run for Olympic Council of Asia’s presidency, said in a statement. “And we have a comprehensive national plan to ensure 100% readiness of all facilities.”
All infrastructural work meets the international requirements and is framed with legacy in mind, according to the QOC.
Qatar has already hosted the likes of FIFA World Cup 2022 and World Aquatic Championships among the 18 World Championships that will be hosted by 2027. The FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 is another headliner on the cards with Doha set to host the Asian Games 2030, its second time hosting the continental games after 2006.
That will prove to be Doha’s stronghold as IOC’s new approach to host selection emphasises cost efficiency and the use of existing venues for sustainability and legacy purposes.
‘Gamechanger’ legacy promises
Mirroring the FIFA World Cup 2022, Qatar’s latest bid relies heavily on its legacy proposals.
The QOC claimed that the bid, in addition to furthering the Olympic movement, will seek to use “sport as a platform for fostering dialogue, promoting cross-cultural understanding, empowering individuals – especially youth.”
The proposed “forward-looking legacy model” will support youth development through education and promote social inclusion through accessible sports, according to the QOC.
Similarly, enhancing regional reach and lasting engagement with Olympic and Paralympic Committees to facilitate over 500 million people across the Middle and North Africa is also promised.
“Doha 2036 will activate legacy well before the Opening Ceremony and sustain it far beyond the Games,” a document rolled out by the QOC read.
Sheikha Hind, speaking at the Olympism 365 Summit, had termed the country’s legacy plan as a “gamechanger”, highlighting the Circle In initiative, jointly put forward by QF, the IOC and Education Above All (EAA). It is now expected to play a key part in the proposed legacy programs.
“As someone who leads an education‑focused foundation and witnessed the legacy forged through hosting the World Cup, I’m thrilled at the prospect of what different Olympic disciplines might generate in this context,” she had said at the summit in June.
Doha’s road ahead
While establishing a “continuous dialogue” marks a key step in Doha’s ambition to host the Games, there is still plenty to be done before the eventual election.
The bidding and host-city election reforms made by the IOC in 2019 require every potential bidder to go through two rounds of dialogue following informal exchanges with the Future Host Commission. The first of two rounds consists of “continuous, non-committal” dialogue.
The next round of “targeted” dialogue is only called after an independent third-party feasibility report green-lights the bidding city.
Only the candidates, recommended after the targeted dialogues, are allowed to present and contest in the election, where IOC members vote to choose the host.
The likes of Germany, India, Indonesia, and South Korea are likely to emerge as Qatar’s competition for the 2036 games, with neighbours Saudi Arabia also touted as potential bidders.
Under the previous bidding process, Qatar had failed to make it as a candidate city to the last round on both occasions. Concerns over the temperatures in Doha around July and August — the months that the summer Olympics are typically held — were commonly raised.
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