2022 World Cup host Qatar bids to stage 2036 Olympics: ‘new milestone’
If selected, the wealthy Gulf state would become the first country in the Middle East and North Africa to hold the four-yearly Games
Doha is bidding to host the 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games, authorities said on Tuesday, as the wealthy Gulf state sets its sights on yet another major sport event to diversify its energy-reliant economy.
One of the smallest and wealthiest states in the Gulf, Qatar had already hosted the 2022 Fifa World Cup.
Should it be chosen, Qatar would become the first country in the Middle East and North Africa to host the Olympic Games, said Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani.
“The official bid submitted by the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) to host the 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games represents a new milestone in Qatar’s journey,” he said in a statement shared on the official Qatar News Agency.
“The bid builds on Qatar’s proven track record of successfully hosting major international sporting events, most notably the Fifa World Cup Qatar 2022,” Sheikh Mohammed added.
Amnesty International and other rights groups claimed thousands of migrant workers died in the lead-up to the 2022 tournament, though Doha has said only 37 workers on World Cup projects perished – and only three in work-related accidents.