Authorities dismissed rumours of school closure during the FIFA Arab Cup tournament in Qatar.
Schools and universities in Qatar will remain open during the FIFA Arab Cup later this month, the Ministry of Education and Higher Education confirmed on Sunday.
“The Ministry of Education and Higher Education affirms that operations at schools and universities shall resume unchanged as per the set schedules at a full rate of 100% during the Arab Cup,” it stated in a tweet on Twitter.
The ministry also shared the academic calendar for the 2021-2022 academic year, confirming that classes and exam dates are fixed as approved in the school calendar for the current academic year.
The latest clarification comes after rumors continued to circulate online about a possible closure of schools across Qatar during the FIFA tournament taking place from 30 November to 18 December.
The ministry’s statement confirms that as of now no change will be applied to the 2021-2022 academic calendar.
“The ministry hereby invites the public to seek information from the official sources and media platforms of the ministry,” a statement read.
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Earlier, authorities announced road closures in conjunction with the major sports event.
Both directions of Corniche Street from 26 November to 4 December, according to the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC), in collaboration with the Ministry of Transport, Public Works Authority ‘Ashghal’ and the General Directorate of Traffic at the Ministry of Interior.
This decision helps to facilitate the inauguration of planned fan activities scheduled to take place during the tournament in collaboration with Qatar Tourism and its partners.
Activities will include the 11th Qatar International Food Festival, which will take place along the corniche during the competition.
Ashghal will also proceed with construction work during the closure period.
Authorities encouraged the public to resort to alternative ways of transportation during the closure period, such as those available through Qatar Rail and Mowasalat (Karwa), to avoid traffic.
