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risks dictates that, in terms of security, each subsequent FIFA World Cup grows in its complexity, which is also confirmed by the key security studies. More than one billion US dollars was spent on cyber security alone. When assigning the hosts of such competitions, what’s analyzed is the probability and frequency of terrorism in the host country, the level of crime and other public security issues, the technical and professional competence of the security forces, the level of complexity of the required security operations and the capacity of the host to respond to security issues of a varied origin. Therefore, at such events, a formal institutional organization of security is essential,” says dr. Luka Leško, the Director of the College of Occupational Safety and Health in Croatia. According to him, since the event was entrusted to Qatar in 2010, this country has focused on improving its policing practices in general. “Qatar has signed memorandums of understanding with Turkey, France, the United States, Morocco, Pakistan, and the United Kingdom, among others, to provide security equipment and personnel and study examples of good practice. It has also partnered with Interpol, the International Center for Sports Security, and Europol. The latter conducted training for security personnel to deal with possible crisis scenarios, and the so-called Operation Shield to protect airspace and territorial waters from terrorist and other threats was also organized,” says Leško. Thus, before the start of the championship, the Qatari security forces conducted a five-day nationwide exercise called “Watan”. During the World Cup, these forces numbered 32,000 soldiers and policemen and 17,000 security guards, together with partners from 13 countries. The purpose of the exercise was to check the readiness to respond to emergencies. How successful its preparation was is best shown by the results after the end of the World Cup, where only a single minor incident was recorded in the fan zone following a scuffle between fans of Argentina and Mexico.

Video surveillance cameras installed in stadiums and access streets in Doha and other cities were equipped with facial recognition technology. Researchers from Qatar University developed surveillance systems that use drones that can estimate the number of passers-by on city

The SecurOS Under-Vehicle Surveillance (UVSS) solution from ISS has been used to protect stadiums and other facilities and public spaces across Qatar. In partnership with local integrator Gulf Networks Security Solutions and a large on-site technical team, ISS deployed 40 UVSS units at vehicle checkpoints for eight stadiums, three logistics zones, and fan zones in and around Doha to protect visitors and make the vehicle inspections safer, faster and more efficient.

streets. All data and footage were sent to the Aspire Control Center, which Qatari officials developed as a headquarters to monitor gate security, transportation systems, and service activities at stadiums and city streets. This center acted as the technical hub for the event itself, where all operations for the eight stadiums were centralized thanks to a single platform that connected them. Equipped with numerous large screens and video walls, the center could easily remind one of the control rooms of the famous NASA or Space X agencies. Its space was filled with ELITE consoles specially designed to accommodate various equipment and monitors. The command center also had a genuine crisis management room equipped with ELITE MEET control room consoles with all the necessary power connectors and other meeting tables from the same series. The entire project was rounded off with a hundred K18 chairs for all positions relevant to the project. “What you see here is a new standard, a new trend in venue operations, and this is our contribution from Qatar to the world of sport. What you see here is the future of stadium operations. Basically, we can open a door or all the doors in a stadium right from here and that is not all”, Niyas Abdulrahiman, the organizers’ chief technology officer. The control center also monitored all nearby subway trains and buses, while drones accurately estimated the number of people on the streets. “Whatever happens, there is a response in and as long as there is no property damage and no one is injured, we will just be watching,” said Hamad al-Mohannadi, director of the command center.

In order to turn all stadiums into one digital project, the Intaleq company developed and designed a new digital solution for the World Cup in Qatar. The solution, the first of its kind to serve “smart” stadiums in the world, is powered by Johnson Controls’ digital platform Openblue and Microsoft’s Azure cloud software. Each stadium had its own 3D digital twin, i.e. an interacti- ve digital model that provided a team of experts in the command center with live information on safety, comfort, and sustainability. Openblue collected data from edge devices and systems and consolidated it to give operators a streamlined experience in assessing situations, such as recognizing when a security issue could affect fans and players, or how crowd size and weather changes could have an impact on energy efficiency or playing conditions. Prior to the development of this new digital solution, major sporting events relied on multiple systems and operators to analyze data, making incident responses inefficient and requiring much more time, effort and resources. However, now their digital “twins” are run through a unique command center that allows for a real-time overview of the stadium and interactive monitoring, remote management and control, thus providing more context for activating alarms, and the ability to resolve incidents much faster than a traditional command-and-control solution. Additionally, a workflow automation tool helps users automate standard operating procedures, allowing them to manage stadiums more easily. “Intaleq and the creation of the first-of-its-kind digital platform is an incredible testament to the power of partnership and is changing how the world views the application of artificial intelligence to optimize stadium management,” said Rodney Clark, Vice President & Chief Commercial Officer, Johnson Controls

All local and international fans who wanted to attend World Cup matches had to apply for a Hayya digital identification card. It is an identification document for visitors that runs on smart technology and contains all the necessary information needed to enter the tournament facilities. Everyone who attended the matches had to have that card and the corresponding ticket. The users could download it in two forms: as a physical smart card or a digital card via the Hayya app. The card also served as a visa upon the presentation of the passport and allowed visitors to enjoy multiple stays in Qatar for 60 days. Its application began ten days before the championship, and run through 27 days of the tournament and 23 days after its end. It also served as a permit to enter Qatar for all international travelers, regardless of the reason and was the only mode of entry between 1 November 2022 and 1 January 2023. The additional benefit of the Hayya card was that it provided access to free public transport on the days of the matches. Whether they were using the metro, tram, or bus to and from stadiums, hotels, or tourist attractions, users could use their Hayya card to reach any destination. The card could also be used to determine the exact location of every user if needed.

For the third time in a row, HID Global was chosen as the manufacturer of smart tickets for the FIFA World Cup. This year HID also provided a fully customized access control solution to the external perimeter and all exit gates to ensure smooth entry/exit and facilitate an emergency evacuation. Counterfeiting is a constant concern for the organizers, so FIFA has relied on HID to supply around two million paper tickets with unique security features, including radio frequency identification. Unlike barcode tickets, which are more easily counterfeited, RFID transmits the unique ID of the ticket and ticket holder via radio waves. Since RFID scanners