Qatar's Olympic dream

Qatar has set itself the challenge of hosting the 2036 Olympic Games, which would make it the first country in the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) to organise an Olympic event. 

The Qatari country has thus confirmed its official bid to host the 2036 Summer Olympics in its capital, Doha, joining Istanbul (Turkey), Ahmedabad (India), Nusantara (Indonesia) and Santiago (Chile) in the running. 

The capital of Doha would be the venue for the Olympic Games if Qatar ends up organising them. The nation led by Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani has considerable economic and financial power, derived mainly from its natural gas industry, and has the major advantage that 95% of the facilities required to host the world's largest sporting event are already in place in the capital itself, as officially confirmed by the Qatari government. 

Qatar attaches great importance to being able to host such an important event as the Olympic Games in the future. In this regard, Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani, president of the Qatari Olympic Committee, said that this measure ‘reflects a national vision that considers sport as an engine of development and a platform for promoting mutual understanding and peace between nations’. 

Qatar has already invested some 300 billion dollars in the construction of stadiums, hotels, road and transport infrastructure and a new metro network in Doha in preparation for the last World Cup, which was praised for its good organisation, marking the first time in history that a World Cup has been held in a country in the MENA region. The Qatari capital of Doha will host the 2030 Asian Games, with facilities that could be used for the 2036 Olympic Games, according to the Qatar Olympic Committee. 

Qatar has already received praise for its efforts in staging the 2022 World Cup, thanks to the logistical efficiency of the event and the innovation and state-of-the-art facilities deployed. Now, the aim is to once again excel in organising a world-class sporting event such as the Olympic Games, with the challenge of highlighting sustainability and innovation in the infrastructure provided. 

This type of event also serves to enhance the national image of the host country and would once again help Qatar consolidate its geostrategic position on the world stage as a major global player, in this case taking advantage of its considerable economic and financial muscle. This soft power strategy has also been followed by other notable Arab and Gulf nations such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, through various international initiatives related to sectors such as sport, environmental protection, international mediation, tourism and humanitarian aid.