Qatar unveiled a 6,000-cabin fan village in an isolated lot near its airports, an offering for housing toward the lower end of what’s available for the upcoming World Cup just days from starting.
As journalists toured the cabins, desert winds kicked up sand at the 3.1 square-kilometre (1.1 square-mile) site, which housed a metro station, a bus stop, and a planned temporary restaurant and convenience store. Officials said that the area could, in theory, hold as many as 12,000 people if booked at capacity.
Artificial green grass covered the walkways outside, with common areas filled with sizeable bean-bag style chairs under a grey sky Wednesday. Competing nations’ flags flapped in the intense desert wind; a large screen was also on the site for fans to watch matches. Workers milled about the site, checking on its final touches.
The brightly coloured cabins, each with thin walls, are designed to hold one or two people with twin beds, a nightstand, a small table and chair, air conditioning, a toilet and a shower inside.
Each will go for around $200 a night — $270 with a board — as the tournament continues. Some 60% of the cabins are already booked for the tournament, said Omar al-Jaber, the head of accommodation at Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy.
There will be other rooms offered at $80 a night farther out than this site near Doha International Airport and Hamad International Airport, both of which will be seeing flights at all hours during the tournament. Planes rumbled overhead during the visit Wednesday.
Those staying at the Fan Village can expect a 40-minute commute to stadium sites.
“Most of the fan(s) they prefer if it’s not a hotel, they prefer the apartment and villa,” al-Jaber said, noting French hospitality company Accor manages those options. However, he said those wanting budget accommodation would come to this site and the others for cheaper options.
In the lead-up to the tournament, concerns about hotel room space and high prices for the rooms available have trailed Qatar, which lacks hotel capacity for all teams, workers, volunteers and fans at the World Cup. So Doha has created camping and cabin sites, hired cruise ships, and encouraged fans to stay in neighbouring countries and fly in for games.
Qatar has estimated it will have 130,000 rooms per day for the tournament.
Nearby Dubai in the United Arab Emirates has already planned for an influx of World Cup fans who want to stay there where their money may go further.
“Now, the shuttle flights option is one of the options for the people who already stay in our neighbour countries and … they would like to just to spend a day to attend the match,” al-Jaber said. “So this is a good option for them in their case.”
He added: “If they would like to come and stay, they are more than welcome, of course, and there is many, many options for them.”
There are still multiple options available for fans in Qatar available to rent, ranging from hotels, cruise ship rooms, traditional dhow sailing vessels and tents, the fan village, porta cabins and caravans. al-Jaber said.
