Monday September 3, 2018
By Joseph Varghese
SC secretary general Hassan al-Thawadi along with other officials and the first group of 22 volunteers at the event. PICTURE: Nasar T K
Gearing up for the biggest
sporting extravaganza in the country, the Supreme Committee for Delivery
& Legacy (SC) has opened registration for volunteers from Qatar,
the region and the world to prepare for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
It is estimated that the tournament, the first FIFA World Cup in
the Arab world, will need between 14,000 and 16,000 volunteers. More
than 12,000 registered in the first four hours after the announcement on
Sunday at a special event.
Applicants, aged 16 and above, can register as a volunteer on the website
www.seeyouin2022.qa and are not required to have any volunteering experience.
The selected volunteers will receive skills training in the lead-up to the tournament which will kick off on November 21, 2022.
SC secretary general Hassan al-Thawadi said volunteers would play a pivotal role in helping Qatar deliver a unique tournament.
“We have always maintained that this tournament is one for the whole
region. Now, we are excited to open registration for volunteers
interested in joining us on our journey. This tournament will provide a
platform to showcase the true nature of the Arab world and volunteers
will be essential partners in ensuring that all our preparations for
2022 help achieve this,” said al-Thawadi.
“We estimate to have between 14,000 and 16,000 volunteers. We look
forward to have a volunteer force that represents Qatar and the region.
We want to start the process of collecting the database early so that we
can begin the training process early enough to make sure that we have a
trained and capable volunteer workforce,” Nasser al-Khater, the SC’s
assistant secretary general for tournament affairs, told the media.
“We’re working flat out to prepare for the greatest sporting spectacle
on earth and now we’re opening up the opportunity for people from around
the world to contribute to our preparations. We have an incredibly busy
schedule between now and kick-off and this presents numerous
opportunities to gain new skills, meet new people and discover
everything Qatar’s World Cup has to offer. We look forward to welcoming
and working with all our volunteers, no matter their age, ability or
where they are from,” he continued.
During the event the SC unveiled the first 22 volunteers from countries
across the region, including Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Oman,
Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria,
Tunisia, Turkey and Yemen.
Mead al-Emadi, community engagement manager, SC gave a presentation
during the event that offered details on how to sign up as a volunteer.
“Qatar 2022 will not only be a landmark moment in the history of the
Arab world, but also in the history of the FIFA World Cup. It presents a
number of innovations, firsts and unique hosting concepts that will
deliver one of the most memorable editions of the tournament ever. The
opportunity to participate in such a tournament is unprecedented and I
encourage all interested football fans and volunteers from around the
world to join us on the road to 2022,” al-Emadi stated.
The event also hosted a panel session involving SC ambassador Mohamed
Saadon al-Kuwari; Faisal al-Shanfari from Oman and member of the Arab
Federation for Voluntary Activities; and Mohamed Essoussi, from Tunisia,
who was a volunteer during the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
The panelists called on people from across the region to unite in
support of Qatar’s tournament and described the advantages and benefits
of becoming a volunteer.