Nasser Al Khater promises cheap accommodation for fans in Qatar during 2022 World Cup

Fans travelling to Qatar for the 2022 World Cup, set to kick-off on November 21, 2022, do not have to worry about eye-watering hotel prices, according to the CEO of the 2022 World Cup, Nasser Al Khater.

Already 800,000 tickets have been sold for the 2022 World Cup and the next phase of ticket sales is ongoing. The draw for the World Cup was revealed on April 1, with all qualified teams learning who their opponents will be in the group stage. As a result, the excitement is high and the demand for tickets is high.

But there have also been concerns that the rates for accommodation in Qatar will be too high during the World Cup. But Al Khater has assured fans that the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy (SC) are taking measures to ensure the prices are not exorbitant.

"We have always been committed to offering every fan who wants to come the opportunity to enjoy an affordable World Cup," he told SunSport.

“We’ve learned from previous tournaments. We know there have been price hikes in previous tournaments to take advantage of the fans who have bought tickets. That’s something we have always been determined to avoid.

“I completely understand the concern when fans see these prices, but we will make this World Cup as affordable as possible for everyone.”

Al Khater further explained that Qatar have created an online accommodation portal that centralises almost 80 per cent of hotel inventory during the World Cup. He feels streamlining hotel booking through this portal will ensure the demand is met and there are no artificial price rises.

“It’s important that that fans visit our accommodation portal once they have booked their tickets. There will be other ways for them to book their accommodation, but if they want the cheapest options, this is where they find them," Al Khater added.

Using the accommodation portal, fans can find various different accommodation options - from two-to-five star hotel rooms, apartments and villlas, luxury cruise ships to desert camps.

Interestingly, Qatar had signed MSC Cruises to lease two cruise liners, with a capacity of 4000 cabins, during the World Cup. They had also entered into an agreement with Europe’s largest hospitality operator, Accor, who will provide 60,000 apartments and villas during the tournament.