venues in London. The problem in the Gulf is that population is still small and it is difficult to fill these major venues after the event. The Aspire Zone for example, despite its impact as a landChallenges galore The announcement of Qatar’s FIFA 2022 Football win stunned mark, is empty much of the year. Other Gulf States have toyed with the idea of combining sport the world. Against the odds, this tiny city state has once again proved it punches well above its weight. The decision changed the and residential uses to build themed sporting destinations for example, Dubai Sports City, Abu Dhabi’s face of the Gulf. There is a mammoth task Football Village or Zayed Sports City. ahead. As if building the stadia were not a These facilities are the envy of many big enough challenge, the infrastructure sports men and women but the venues required to get people to the region, acstruggle to attract the attendance that is commodate, feed and move them around available elsewhere. adds up to a huge planning task. Qatar is investing heavily in the arts, No doubt Qatar will rise to the occasion “The 2022 facilities and culture and now sports. The challenge? as it did in hosting the highly successful infrastructure could be the To make sure that the very high capital Asian Games in 2006. But this is way bigcatalyst for creating a great expenditure invested in these events ger in its impact and demands. 2022 will achieves payback with a healthier, educatbring the eyes of the world upon Qatar and Arabic city, one that is the envy ed population and a sustainable income upon the Gulf. Spectators and commentaof the world and continuing that justifies the use of fossil funds. The tors will visit nearby cities and maybe even the great Islamic design tradi2022 facilities and infrastructure could watch some games in televised stadium be the catalyst for creating a great Arabic displays across the region. tions that created remarkable city, one that is the envy of the world and places like the Alhambra in continuing the great Islamic design tradiBuilding a Legacy modern day Spain.” tions that created remarkable places like Recent international sporting investthe Alhambra in modern day Spain. ments have focused attention on the need Qatar has pulled off a surprise win for what planners call ‘legacy’ – the idea against high quality opponents. Its footthat after the event there is some on-going tangible benefit from the often huge expenditure. Post Olympics, ball team may even beat the odds in 2022 too. The real win will be the ‘Bird’s Nest Stadium’ in Beijing has become a feature on the if, when the TV cameras roll out, Qatar and Doha are internationtourist trail, while the highly successful new Wembley stadium ally envied for the quality of life, design and planning seen on TV by Foster Partners (the architect for the planned Lusail stadium) screens and in magazines around the world. That really would be incorporates a top hotel and provides one of the largest five star win-win! creating cities that become global role models.
*GSDP National Strategy Scenario
A happening place? Khalifa stadium all decked up for the AFC 2011
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By Ian Lyne Lyne is Managing Director of Future-Dynamix – providing strategic change management for sustainable development. Ian can be reached at Ian.Lyne@future-dynamix.com
february 2011
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