FIFA World Cup organisers estimate that about 1.5 million visitors will attend the football event.

Morocco has deployed “thousands” of police officers to Qatar to aid the gulf nation in bolstering security for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, local Moroccan media reported.

The dispachment comes as part of a cooperation deal with Qatar, according to the report released by Jeune Afrique magazine.

The announcement comes only days after the director of Morocco’s General Directorate of National Security and General Directorate of Territorial Surveillance (DGSN-DGST) paid a visit to the Lusail stadium, which will host the World Cup’s last match in 2022.

The DGSN-DGST chief, Abdellatif Hammouchi, was the first senior foreign official to tour the 80,000-seat stadium last month.

The visiting Moroccan official focused on cybersecurity at the security operations centre and command post. He also met with Qatari officials on numerous occasions to discuss security measures for the World Cup.

The visit coincided with Morocco’s participation in Milipol Qatar 2022, an annual international exhibition for land security and civil defence held in Doha, and the biggest event of its kind in the Middle East and North African region.

Qatar’s Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani met with Hammouchi after the ceremony to discuss security cooperation between Doha and Rabat.

Morocco agreed to send a team of cybersecurity experts to Qatar in late May as part of the FIFA World Cup preparations.

The North African country also had initially indicated interest in supporting the Gulf country in hosting the most important football event in the world back in 2020, providing Qatar with personnel resources and logistical support.

However, Morocco is not the only country that will be lending a helping hand to Qatar to secure the tournament.

On Sunday, Qatari and Turkish representatives met in Doha to discuss security issues in advance of Qatar hosting the FIFA World Cup 2022 later this year.

The Qatari team was led by Major General Abdulaziz Abdullah Al Ansari, the chairman of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Security and Safety Operations Committee, while the Turkish mission was led by Deputy Interior Minister Muhterem Ince, according to Anadolu Agency.

Various areas of mutual cooperation during the major tournament were discussed at the sessions.

Additionally, the UK’s Royal Air Force and Royal Navy will provide counter-terror policing at this year’s Fifa World Cup in Qatar.

For the first time in history, the FIFA World Cup will be held in the winter, from November 18 to December 21, rather than the summer. Summer temperatures in Qatar range from 40 to 50 degrees celsius, making a summer competition unfeasible.

The competition will begin on Monday 21 November and end less than a month later, with the final scheduled for Sunday 18 December – also coinciding with Qatar’s National Day. 

The FIFA World Cup group stage will take place from 21 November to 2 December. The round of 16 matches will be held on 3-6 December, following the completion of the group round. The tournament’s quarterfinals will be held on 9 and 10 December. 

The tournament’s quarterfinals will be held on December 9 and 10. 

The semi-finals will take place on 13 and 14 December, with the third-place match and the final taking place on 18 December.