With Two Months to Qatar’s World Cup, There’s a Lot Left to Do
New residences, hotel rooms, stadiums — and even a sewage system — are being built to accommodate an estimated 1.2 million soccer fans who will descend on Doha for one of the world’s biggest sporting events.
Anyone driving through Qatar’s main business hub is sure to notice signs of disarray in this usually tidy and unremarkable neighborhood. Roads are split open, streets are closed, and inexplicable detours make getting to that building just across the street seem impossible.
The construction that’s overwhelmed Doha’s West Bay district is one of the most prominent indications of the race to prepare for as many as 1.2 million visitors — close to half the country’s population — expected to descend for the soccer World Cup in November. One of the largest global sporting events will offer an unprecedented opportunity for the gas-rich country to display its wealth and geopolitical clout.