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Thousands of United Arab Emirates football fans paid for special hospitality package at 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, allowing them to watch three matches in a month-long competition.
Alan Holt, Sole Selling Agent and Managing Director of Expat Sport Dubai, said that to date, more than 3,000 residents have purchased Follow Your Team packages, which offer supporters access to all three group stage matches, Take the Official World Cup Hospitality Package on an Emirates shuttle flight.
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“In the group stage, it’s three games in two weeks,” Holt told Al Arabiya English. “Generally, people take our shuttles just for the day, not for a stopover in Doha.”
Holt said the UK, Iran and Lebanon were the main countries buying hospitality packages from the UAE.
“For the Brits and the Iranians, they will support their national team. For the Lebanese fans, the teams they are most concerned about are Argentina and Portugal, mainly to watch football legends, or Germany, which is a team in Lebanon The league has been on TV for many years, so it gets a loyal fan base from there.”
Monty Guhathakurta, a 40-year-old Dubai resident, is a football fan who managed to secure three World Cup tickets.
He will arrive in Doha on 27 November. On the day of his arrival, he will watch Spain’s game against Germany, followed by Beijing’s game against Morocco. The next day, he will watch Portugal v Uruguay.
“I’ve just received my tickets for the Portugal v Uruguay game and I’m very excited because that game will be played at the iconic Lusail Stadium, which has a capacity of 80,000 and is also where the World Cup final will be held,” the football fan told Alla Bia English.
Panoramic view of the Lusail Stadium, the venue for the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar. (File photo: Reuters)
Indian-born Guhathakurta worked in the automotive industry and played football his whole life until multiple injuries forced him to stop playing the sport.
The 2022 FIFA World Cup will be his first.
“I’m very excited; my plans for the World Cup started six months ago when the group stage was decided. That’s when I picked the date. My plan was to pick a weekend where I could fly from Dubai to Doha, Then these charter flights are launched by FlyDubai.”
“Booking a ticket is not an easy process. There are many stages to getting to Doha. You need an ID number on your match ticket to enter the country.”
“I bought hospitality tickets from ExpatSports – $950 each.”
“The reason I get tickets from them is that it’s almost impossible to get tickets from the official FIFA website, when they go on sale, there’s a 12-hour wait. And then by that time, the games you want to be in have nothing left.”
“The great thing about the Qatar World Cup is that fans can watch two or three games on the same day because all the stadiums are close by – especially with the shuttle from flydubai.”
The football fan said that of the three games he is most looking forward to is Portugal v Uruguay.
“It’s because obviously Cristiano Ronaldo is going to play. It’s pretty much the twilight of his career now, so this is the last time the fans will see him in a big game.”
“I’m really excited, it’s going to be my first World Cup and when you live in Dubai, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to go next door to see the World Cup.”
When it comes to who he wants to lift the trophy, Guhatacurta said: “I’ve always supported Brazil because they played brilliantly, but this time I’m supporting Argentina because (Lionel) Messi effect.”
Qatar, the smallest country to host football’s global exhibition championship, is gearing up to host some 1.2 million visitors during the World Cup, which opens on November 20.
With limited accommodation in Qatar, thousands of fans are expected to stay in neighboring countries such as the UAE and fly to Doha for the game.
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