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Lessons Saudis can learn from the Qatar World Cup to benefit their 2034 tournament bid

Lessons Saudis can learn from the Qatar World Cup to benefit their 2034 tournament bid
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‘New classics: designing a world cup for the future’ panel at the Misk Global Forum 2024. (AN photo by Huda Bashatah)
Lessons Saudis can learn from the Qatar World Cup to benefit their 2034 tournament bid
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‘New classics: designing a world cup for the future’ panel at the Misk Global Forum 2024. (AN photo by Huda Bashatah)
Lessons Saudis can learn from the Qatar World Cup to benefit their 2034 tournament bid
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‘New classics: designing a world cup for the future’ panel at the Misk Global Forum 2024. (AN photo by Huda Bashatah)
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Updated 21 November 2024

Lessons Saudis can learn from the Qatar World Cup to benefit their 2034 tournament bid

Lessons Saudis can learn from the Qatar World Cup to benefit their 2034 tournament bid
  • During discussion at Misk Global Forum in Riyadh, the CEO of World Cup Qatar 2022 tells of the challenges and opportunities his country encountered hosting the tournament
  • He says one of the biggest hurdles was the intense media scrutiny and the constant battle against public perceptions of the country and region

RIYADH: Nasser Al-Khater, the CEO of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, shared his thoughts on some of the challenges and opportunities his country encountered when hosting one of the biggest global sports events, and passed on some words of wisdom during a discussion at the 2024 Misk Global Forum in Riyadh with Hamad Albalawi, the head of the Ƶn Sports Federation’s Bid Unit for the 2034 World Cup.

Describing the 2022 event as “the best-ever World Cup in the history of the tournament,” Albalawi said 3.2 million tickets were sold, a 17 percent increase compared with the 2018 World Cup in Russia, and it was the most sustainable tournament to date.

As such, football authorities worldwide can learn many lessons from Qatar about hosting future World Cups and other major events, he added.

“You saw a World Cup that put the fan at the very center … that created an experience for fans that were able to engage with the tournament beyond the 90 minutes,” Albalawi said on Tuesday, the second and final day of the Misk event.

However, hosting the competition did not come without significant challenges. Some of the biggest that authorities had to overcome included the problems caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic, the logistics of organizing a World Cup in a country undergoing great infrastructural development, and issues related to the welfare of workers, Al-Khater said.

However, one of the most significant hurdles was the intense media scrutiny and the constant battle against public perceptions.

“From the bid stage, the challenge was people not taking us seriously, not seeing us as a serious contender,” Al-Khater said.

Toward the end of the bidding process, as people started to realize how strong a contender for host Qatar really was, “they tried to discredit us as much as possible,” he added.

Al-Khater spoke in particular about the effects reporting by the mainstream media has on public perceptions. He said the task of trying to counter this by educating people had at times distracted from the crucial job of actually organizing a major, unforgettable event.

However, people eventually began to tire of the constant narrative, he added, started to question it and reflect on social and political issues in their own countries, and in doing so they slowly realized a double standard might be at play.

Al-Khater said 1.4 million people visited Qatar to experience the World Cup firsthand, many of whom raved about the safety and beauty of the country, and the hospitality of the Arab world; an image that jarred with the picture painted by the mainstream media.

“Women said, ‘We have never felt so safe at football matches in our lives,’” he added.

Albalawi said that when the Saudi bid team entered the room with their counterparts from other nations, he realized that the average ages of the members of those other teams were in the 50s and 60s, while the average age of the Saudi team was between 31 and 32.

“It made me think to myself, do we have the experience? Do we have the knowledge? Do we have the know-how?” he admitted.

But after reflecting on Ƶ’s Vision 2030 plan for national development and diversification, and how much it has achieved in the past nine years, he reconsidered his initial reaction.

“Although we do not have 20 years of experience, we have projects that we have managed that are more sophisticated than any other set of projects around the world,” Albalawi said.

“The Saudi youth is one of the most capable youths of the world. We have a lot of energy, we have a lot of will, we have very capable minds and we have a demographic that is the envy of every nation in the world.”

Asked how confident he is that the Saudi bid to host the 2034 World Cup will be successful, Albalawi replied: “Very confident. Ƶ is a story of growth … of remarkable transformation. It will be written in the history books for decades and centuries to come; this era and this age will be remembered for the achievements we have created.”

Al-Khater noted that the experience of hosting the World Cup had a big effect in his country on young people in particular.

“The youth in Qatar were quite lucky that they have been able to witness a country that was growing together and living a sense of nationwide pride,” he said.

This feeling of pride and national unity instilled a sense of teamwork at the macro and micro levels that was reflected throughout society, from large national projects to small teams working in schools and universities, he added.

Great efforts were made to ensure the youth of the country were included in the planning process for the World Cup by creating programs in schools and online tools, for example, to help them understand the significance of the event to Qatar, and by recruiting students to work as volunteers at the event itself, Al-Khater said.

The World Cup can be used as a “developmental tool” and the youth of a nation are “your biggest ambassadors,” he added.

“Everywhere else, it is just the World Cup; for our part of the world, this is a strategic project and it is an ambition that goes far beyond sports.”

Albalawi’s message to Saudi youth was to embrace the prospect of the Kingdom hosting 2034 World Cup as an opportunity to “become your best in anything you do, whether that is the best engineer, football administrator, health professional, architect,” and “to see that growth in yourself and the connections around you all the way through.” He added: “The World Cup is an enabler to all of the different projects.”

Another piece of advice he offered to young people was to be diligent in everything they do, always triple-check that they have considered everything they need to, and to ask questions of everyone who can help them ensure they always stay ahead of the game.

Al-Khater’s advice to the people of Ƶ was: “Always keep the big picture in mind because we can sometimes, through our own panic, veer off and start looking at micro issues.

“You need to hold yourself and start to zoom out. Learn how to manage up. Expectations are quite high in this part of the world, rightfully so. One big task that I have to go through is learning how to manage up and not just delivering on the ground.”


Tuwaiq Academy introduces 200 new training camps and programs

Tuwaiq Academy introduces 200 new training camps and programs
Updated 31 sec ago

Tuwaiq Academy introduces 200 new training camps and programs

Tuwaiq Academy introduces 200 new training camps and programs

JEDDAH: Riyadh-based technology institution Tuwaiq Academy has introduced more than 200 new training camps and programs in 10 different fields, the Saudi Press Agency announced on Monday.

The new programs are offered both in-person in Riyadh and remotely, with professional certifications created in partnership with global organizations.

Outstanding participants will also have access to employment opportunities upon completion.

The academy’s programs are open to a wide range of participants, including university students and graduates, employees and school students.

Camps and courses cover key areas such as programming, cybersecurity, data science, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, user experience, virtual worlds, mechatronics engineering, game development, drones and other modern technologies.

CEO Abdulaziz Al-Hammadi said the academy collaborates with more than 60 leading global technology partners, including Meta, Google, Nvidia, Amazon and Huawei to deliver training camps, many of which are being offered for the first time in the region.

“These programs provide a learning experience tailored to the needs of the labor market, with accredited professional certifications that strengthen and empower national capabilities, while contributing to the objectives of the Human Capability Development Program under Saudi Vision 2030,” he added.

All programs are available for free registration through the academy’s official website: https://tuwaiq.edu.sa/

Since its establishment, Tuwaiq Academy has graduated more than 35,000 students, with more than 80 percent of its bootcamp graduates securing employment within six months through the Tuwaiq Employment Program.

In addition to its training camps and professional programs, the academy organizes regular competitions, activities and an employment league used to place its graduates in advanced technology roles in different industries.


Syrian business delegation due in Riyadh

Syrian business delegation due in Riyadh
Updated 18 August 2025

Syrian business delegation due in Riyadh

Syrian business delegation due in Riyadh
  • The visit follows up on the Syrian-Saudi Investment Forum held last month in Damascus

RIYADH: A Syrian delegation of private sector representatives and government officials are due in Riyadh on Monday as Ƶ further strengthens its commitment to re-engage with the conflict-ravaged country and support its reconstruction efforts.

The delegation will be led by Mohammad Nidal Al-Shaar, Syria’s Minister of Economy and Industry, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The visit follows up on the Syrian-Saudi Investment Forum held last month in Damascus, with more than 100 Saudi companies and 20 government entities joining the event, that yielded $6.4 billion worth of investment deals.

The 47 investment pledges ranged from real estate, infrastructure, finance, telecommunications and information technology, energy, industry, tourism, trade and health.

Among these include $1.07 billion worth of pledges from Saudi telecommunications companies including Saudi Telecom Co., GO Telecom, digital security firm Elm and cybersecurity company Cipher; while the $2.93 billion investment deals included the construction of three new cement plants to support Syria’s reconstruction efforts.


Saudi king, crown prince offer condolences to Pakistani president over flood victims 

Saudi king, crown prince offer condolences to Pakistani president over flood victims 
Updated 18 August 2025

Saudi king, crown prince offer condolences to Pakistani president over flood victims 

Saudi king, crown prince offer condolences to Pakistani president over flood victims 
  • Pakistani officials have said at least 274 lost their lives in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where torrential rains and cloudbursts triggered massive flooding on Friday

RIYADH: Ƶ's King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday condoled with Pakistan over the victims of floods that struck the country's north, resulting in deaths, injuries, and missing persons.

In a cable to President Asif Ali Zardari, King Salman extended his "deepest condolences and sincere sympathy" to the families of the victims and the people of Pakistan as a whole, praying for the "speedy recovery of the injured and safe return of the missing."

The crown prince sent a similar cable to Zardari, according to the Saudi Press Agency, or the SPA.

Pakistani officials have said at least 344 lost their lives, mostly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where torrential rains and cloudbursts triggered massive flooding on Friday.  More than 150 were reported still missing.

 

 

Homes were flattened by torrents of water that swept down from the mountains in Buner, carrying boulders that smashed into houses like explosions.

The government said that while an early warning system was in place, the sudden downpour in Buner was so intense that the deluge struck before residents could be alerted.

Lt. Gen. Inam Haider, chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority, told a hastily convened news conference in Islamabad that Pakistan was experiencing shifting weather patterns because of climate change. 

Since the monsoon season began in June, Pakistan has already received 50 percent more rainfall than in the same period last year, he added.

(With Agencies)

 


Saudi, UAE foreign ministers hold call

Saudi, UAE foreign ministers hold call
Updated 17 August 2025

Saudi, UAE foreign ministers hold call

Saudi, UAE foreign ministers hold call

RIYADH: Saudi foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan spoke with his UAE counterpart on Sunday, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

During the call, Prince Faisal and Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan reviewed Suadi-Emirati relations and discussed topics of common interest, SPA added.


Riyadh university offers English courses

Riyadh university offers English courses
Updated 17 August 2025

Riyadh university offers English courses

Riyadh university offers English courses
  • The two tracks of the course consist of a 12-week study program, with a total of 30 training hours, designed for first-level students, and an 18-week study program, also with a total of 30 training hours, designed for second-level students

RIYADH: The English Language Institute at Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University in Riyadh has opened registration for its preparatory English course, aimed at equipping female students with the necessary academic language skills to enroll in the university’s graduate programs.

The course is designed to enable students wishing to join graduate programs at the university to meet admission requirements through an intensive training program that focuses on developing academic English language skills within a learning environment supervised by specialized faculty members.

The two tracks of the course consist of a 12-week study program, with a total of 30 training hours, designed for first-level students, and an 18-week study program, also with a total of 30 training hours, designed for second-level students.

Both tracks are divided between in-person attendance and self-learning.

A certificate of completion will be awarded to students who achieve a score of 70 percent or higher in all assessments.

This initiative comes as part of the English Language Institute’s efforts to contribute to the objectives of Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University’s 2025 Strategic Plan, which aims to support and empower female students linguistically by offering specialized preparatory programs that enhance their path toward graduate studies and strengthen their academic competence.

Registration for the two tracks are open until Aug. 24.

More information about the course can be found through the following link: https://pnu.edu.sa/ar/MediaCenter/Pages/AdvertisementDetails.aspx?RequestID=480