Organisers of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar have restated their belief that the first World Cup in the Middle-East region will build an enduring legacy for people in the region and beyond. Writing in the maiden edition of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy newsletter, the organisers said they were leading Qatar’s preparations to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar and creating a legacy for Qatar, for the Middle East and for the world.

“Ours is an ambitious project. It entails celebrating our past, assessing our present and thinking hard about the future we want for our children. It is mentally and physically demanding. “We are building stadiums, and we are building a new narrative.

About the ability of small countries to deliver major global sporting events. About innovation and sustainability. About the power of football to transform individual lives, and to transform entire nations.

“Guided by our overarching commitment to openness, step by step we will achieve our goals – one achievement building on the next, culminating in an extraordinary tournament that will deliver the ultimate football experience. We will set new benchmarks.

And we will create a legacy that exceeds all expectations, contributing to Qatar’s development and sharing the generosity innate to Qatari culture with the whole world”, the Supreme Committee said.

On how they intend to deliver on their promise, the SC said ‘we have three goals, first to bring out the players’ best on the pitch. We want to provide the most hospitable experience for fans in the stands. And we want the fans watching at home to feel like they are there.

“Until 2014, much of that work was taking place behind the scenes, on the screens. That’s normal. These aren’t your average stadiums. The designs reflect our culture. The innovations reflect our ambitions. The experience will demonstrate our hospitality.

“The stadiums will be delivered using green materials. The finished stadiums will use less water and less electricity. Solar power will be generated on site. This will be verified by certification from Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED), the Global Sustainability Assessment System (GSAS) or both.  “The upper seating tiers of most of our stadiums will be modular. After the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar, this seating will be distributed to developing countries around the world. It will be used to build mini-stadiums, creating a legacy of football development”, added the Supreme Committee.

The newsletter added “player and fan comfort were taken into account from the start. Each of the stadiums will be cooled, so they can be used year-round, no matter what the weather. Every fan in the stadium will have unobstructed views of the pitch. Fans watching on TV will be equally well served. We are humble, and not afraid to say that we don’t know what innovations are coming to television in the next seven years. So we are building to accommodate all possibilities”.

The statement added that “all of our planning is paying off. We have decisively entered the delivery phase. We have announced four stadiums so far. Work has started on all of them. You will find updates about the stadiums and their construction below.”.

The committee noted that “there is much more to come. We will announce more stadium designs and more construction and contracts this year. The next few years will be very busy ones for the SC and our stakeholders. We’re sure that our grit and determination now will pay off. In 2022 and for decades after, for the millions of people whose lives will be transformed.”.

On plans to bequeath an enduring legacy after the World Cup, the Supreme Committee said “we know we will be judged by the legacy we leave behind. We are up to the challenge. Our every activity is planned and executed with legacy in mind. We do not believe in waiting until after the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar to capture the benefits of hosting.

“The legacy we are building can be focused, like using football to develop leadership skills in 22 Generation Amazing ambassadors each year. It can be broad, like improving the lives of thousands and, potentially, millions of workers. It can be revolutionary, like the cooling technologies we are developing.

“It can be all three, in providing creative thinkers in the Middle East with the tools to bring their visions to life, nurturing a culture of innovation in the region and contributing to a more sustainable future for major events globally. “The common thread that runs through all of our actions is that they are meaningful, and they improve the lives of people and communities”.