Friday, April 30, 2010

Qatar's World Cup Hopes Go Far Beyond Soccer

Qatar is pinning its ambitions toward becoming a global city on its bid to host the 2022 World Cup.

Qatar's wealth is mind-boggling, and with that comes opportunity. Perhaps the biggest opportunity occupying the minds of those creating Qatar's horizon is the World Cup.

Hosting the world's most popular sporting event would be a game-changer, which believes its next incarnation will be as a global IT and financial centre. Bringing the world to its shores is the chance to change perceptions. Eventually, someone has to fill the thousands of empty offices and the condominiums stretching across the desert sand.

To make that happen, white-collar nomads need to be convinced they can make a life in Qatar, not just make money. The World Cup is the chance to prove the point.

World Cup dreams rise like the Doha skyline
The Sydney Morning Herald
April 26, 2010