During the month-long tournament, Qatar expects an unprecedented 1.2 million visitors, more than a third of the Gulf Arab state’s population of about 3 million.

Clogged roads are expected during the upcoming World Cup in Qatar, organisers said on Wednesday, saying that managing four football games per day in the tiny Gulf state will be difficult.

From November 20, fans will be able to watch multiple games in a single day, which might be complicated considering Qatar is the smallest country to host the global event, Reuters reported. 

“Having four matches in a day is a challenge, in a city like Doha … of course we are expecting to have congestion on the streets,” said Abdulaziz Ali Al-Mawlawi, mobility director at the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, Qatar’s tournament organisers. 

“Therefore we are here today … to give notices and warn fans to follow certain rules.”

Al-Mawlawi urged fans to arrive early for matches with multiple people in the same car to reduce congestion. In addition, Qatar has ordered that schools be closed and that 80% of government employees work from home. 

Certain vehicles have been prohibited from entering central Doha.  The Corniche Street will be designated for pedestrians from November 1 to December 19,  according to the plan that has been prepared to facilitate transportation during FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

The games will be held in eight stadiums located within 40 kilometers of central Doha. There will be four matches per day during the first two weeks of the tournament, with kickoffs scheduled between 1pm and 10pm local time.

The Hayya card, Qatar’s mandatory fan ID, will provide fans with free access to the city’s metro system, which connects the city’s two airports with five stadiums.

During the tournament, the metro will run 110 trains instead of the usual 75, stopping every 165 seconds, 21 hours a day, according to Abdulla Saif Al-Sulaiti, Chief of Service Delivery at metro operator Qatar Rail.

During the tournament, Qatar will operate over 3,100 buses, nearly four times the number of buses in the country. According to reports, 3,000 taxis and 11,500 Ubers will also be available.

Local residents are encouraged to use private transportation to get to tournament venues and  drive where possible. Shuttle buses will operate from both airports and help fans reach their accommodation and tourist attractions in central Doha.

Click here to read the full transportation guide for residents and visitors ahead of this year’s FIFA World Cup 2022.