Saudi, Emirati, and Omani football fans have consistently been using the crossing to get into Doha for the AFC Asian Cup, which began on January 12.

Since the start of the AFC Asian Cup, the Abu Samra border crossing has witnessed a significant influx of visitors to Doha, with more than 600,000 people and 200,000 vehicles passing through the crossing.

Saudi, Emirati, and Omani football fans have consistently been using the crossing to get into Doha for the AFC Asian Cup, which began on January 12.

The border crossing, which now boasts 166 immigration counters, has facilitated smooth entry and exit procedures for the numerous fans and teams participating in the tournament.

These upgrades, including the pre-registration service available through Metrash 2 and the Hayya Platform, have significantly reduced processing times for travellers.

Since the start of the cup until this week Tuesday, the Doha Metro and Lusail Tram have collectively carried approximately 4.11 million passengers.

Meanwhile, the Education City and Msheireb Trams have together transported about 177,583 passengers up until the same period.

The 18th edition of the AFC Asian Cup has achieved an unprecedented global reach, being broadcast in 160 territories and making it the most widely accessible version of the tournament to date.

This is the first occasion that all group stage matches were aired live in regions outside the AFC territories, including the USA, Europe, Latin America, and Africa.

There has been a notable increase in audience engagement compared to the 2019 edition, with TV ratings within traceable markets having seen a cumulative increase of 14% from the group stage of the previous tournament.

This surge is partly attributed to the availability of free-to-air broadcasts in several participating team areas.