FIFA World Cup organizers on Tuesday said that Qatar is planning to pitch 100 ‘bedouin style tents’ in the desert for the fans who are coming from all over the world. The state is expecting 1.2 million visitors, nearly half of its population, for the 28-day tournament in November and December.
“Tents will spring up on the desert landscapes surrounding Doha to offer visitors a taste of the authentic Qatari camping,” said Omar Al-Jaber, head of accommodation at tournament organizer the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, Reuters reports.
He further added that they will give the fans an opportunity to live in a desert, and the 200 tents will be luxurious, commanding “expensive” nightly fees.
Qatar has fewer than 30,000 hotel rooms out of which 80% have been allocated for the FIFA World Cup guests, according to Qatar Tourism.
However, with two cruise ships anchored in the Doha port and shared villas and apartments, Qatar will provide at least 69,000 rooms, most of them to be managed by Accor, Europe’s largest hotel operator.
Al-Jaber also assured fans that there will be enough accommodation for everyone with a total of 100,000 rooms in Qatar.
Furthermore, fans who wish to only attend the tournament have the option of shuttle flights. Qatar has invited regional airlines to operate more than 180 daily shuttle flights, allowing fans to fly in from nearby cities for the day.