The FIFA World Cup is scheduled to take place on 21 November until 18 December. However, volunteer roles will be kicking off from 1st October.

The majority of participants who registered to volunteer for the World Cup are from North African countries, a Qatari official said.

Some 60,000 interviews were conducted to select 20,000 volunteers who would work inside and outside the stadiums to ensure the World Cup 2022 runs smoothly, Nasser Al Mughaiseeb, Director of Volunteering Strategy at the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy said during an interview with local news outlet Al Sharq.

“We have received applications for registration from more than 180 nationalities around the world, most of them are from Asian and African countries, where their percentage exceeds 40% of the total applicants,” said Al-Mughaisib.

As for the Arab countries, it was noted that most of the registrants were from Egypt and other North African countries like Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco. They were also among the majority of applicants that successfully passed the interviews.

The 20,000 volunteers will be assigned various responsibilities in hotels, airports, hospitals, and stadiums to provide support during the world’s largest football tournament. They will also be asked to work at least 10 days in 6 to 8 hour shifts.

More than 40% of the applicants were between the ages of 24 and 34.”This is very promising and shows the importance of having young people with us as well as reflects their eagerness to leave a mark in this global event.”

According to the Qatari official, 95% of candidates speak English fluently.

In his interview, Al-Mughaisib indicated that the process will be eased for the entry of volunteers from outside Qatar, and this will facilitate the process of communicating with them continuously during the tournament.

The Qatar World Cup 2022 was supposed to take place from 21 November 21 to 18 December. However, FIFA, the tournament’s governing organisation, has since moved the start date to 20 November.

However, volunteer roles will be kicking off from 1st October.

Football fans from all around the world were encouraged to apply and undergo the selection process for the volunteer background.

They will work across 45 functional areas at official and non-official locations, including but not limited to training sites, the airport, fan zones, hotels and public transportation hubs.

Qatar expects at least 1.5 million visitors for the event – the first ever World Cup to be hosted in the region.