There have been growing concerns over accommodation prices and its availability in the country.
FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 fans now have the option to stay with their friends or relatives during the global sporting event.
The choice to host friends and family who are coming to watch the World Cup is only available to Qatari nationals and residents. These friends are welcome to stay with them as long as the host registers the visitors, including their passport numbers and unit information.
Hosts can invite up to 10 people during the tournament, and applications may start as early as May 2022.
The application for the Hayya card will remain incomplete for international fans visiting Qatar unless they have confirmed their lodging. The Hayya card is a form of identification card that is required for all local and international fans attending FIFA World Cup matches.
To apply for a Hayya card, it can be done through the Hayya mobile application or the portal.
World Cup accommodation concerns
Qatar has created an online accommodation platform that has around 80% of hotel inventory for World Cup fans. Organisers confirmed that when visitors book a hotel using the designated site, they can be assured that their demand will be satisfied and that no false price rises will occur.
Fans will be able to choose from two to five star hotel rooms, apartments, villas, luxury cruise ships, and desert camps through the accommodation portal.
MSC Cruises has agreed to lease two cruise liners to Qatar during the World Cup.
The cruise liners, which will be stationed at Doha Port and used as floating hotels, will have a total capacity of 4,000 cabins and offer spectators a spectacular view of the West Bay cityscape. Chartering cruise liners is regarded as a sustainable option that Qatar has been considering as part of its World Cup accommodation strategy for a while.
The gulf state also agreed to furnish 60,000 rooms and villas with Accor, Europe’s leading hotel operator, throughout the tournament.
World Cup Qatar organisers have promised supporters that the event will be “as affordable as possible for everyone,” FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 CEO Nasser Al-Khater noted in an interview with SunSport.
The cost of staying in some apartments is about $80 per night, while buying a room in a luxury floating hotel with restaurants and recreational activities is around $180 per night.
The FIFA organisers have also set a limit on room costs that hotels can charge fans. The price of a three-star hotel is capped at around $120.
Tournament’s tickets
The World Cup 2022 tickets are divided into four main categories: Individual match tickets, Supporter tickets, Conditional supporter tickets, and the Four-Stadium ticket series.
More than 800,000 tickets have already been sold for the global tournament in the first sales phase, with the second phase currently being underway up until April 28.
On April 1, the World Cup draw was made public, and all qualified countries learned who their group stage opponents would be in the global football event in November.
People whose ticket applications were approved will receive notification of their approval status no later than May 31st, which also coincides with the start of the payment stage.
Interested individuals should register on this website to get information on the Random Selection Draw sales period.
Out of the potential 32 teams, 29 have qualified so far for the tournament. Three more seats will be announced in June as New Zealand is set to face Costa Rica in a playoff on June 14.
