The first tourist destination in the Gulf, Dubai is looking to leverage the World Cup in Qatar to attract tourists and supporters thanks to more critical infrastructure and more flexible social standards than in its neighbours.

Weeks before the start of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, football fever has hit the neighboring emirate of Dubai, which is hoping to attract some supporters.

The first tourist destination in the Gulf, just an hour’s flight from Doha, the city relies on its infrastructure and openness to attract supporters, who will have the opportunity to travel back and forth during the day during the tournament, from November 20 to December 18.

According to Qatari authorities, 160 flights will shuttle between the host country and its neighbors every day, including more than thirty from Dubai, one of the seven emirates of the United Arab Emirates.

This charter flight is a boon to Emirates’ approximately ten million residents, mostly expats, such as Firas Yassine, a supporter of the French team.

The French-Lebanese young man who lives in Dubai did not hesitate to buy tickets to attend with his wife the first World Cup held in the Middle East.

However, due to the cold with hotel room prices in Doha, they decided to make a round trip on November 26, arriving five hours before the first whistle and leaving a few hours after the game ended.

“I will visit the city, watch the game and then go home,” he told AFP.

tourist destination

Dubai authorities hope that this option will also appeal to football fans from abroad.

that Qatar plans to welcome between 1 and 1.2 million people during the World Cup, but some supporters have complained about the dearth of accommodation on offer in Doha, the restrictions on alcohol or the absence of recreational activities in this small but wealthy conservative Muslim nation.

Less rich in hydrocarbons than the neighboring emirate, Dubai has established itself as a global tourist hub, with countless hotels, bars, shopping malls and major attractions.

“Up to one million visitors” can drop off their luggage at the Emirates during the World Cup, public body Dubai Sports Council hoped last week in a press release.

Authorities had announced earlier this month that double-entry visas would be issued to match ticket holders.

Some supporters “will want to take the opportunity to visit both countries”, predicts Expat Sports, a tourism agency specializing in sporting events, based in the Emirates.

“Dubai is known worldwide and many football-related activities will be offered there,” he added in an email to AFP.

The emirate has announced the opening of several fan zones, in parks, on the beach or in the financial hub of Dubai, known for its many fine restaurants.

“Lower social standards”

A hotel, on the artificial island of The Palm, will also be fully reserved for football fans.

Expat Sports said it had seen strong demand for bookings “from Mexico, UK, Europe and India”. “At this pace, we expect the hotel to be full,” he said.

On Sunday, the Prime Minister of the Emirates and ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, said tourism revenues had soared to $5 billion in the first half of 2022, expecting “strong performance this winter”.

Before the pandemic, Dubai alone received nearly 16 million tourists in 2019, compared to 5.51 million the following year and 7.3 million last year.

In addition to the “advantage of being a major tourist destination”, the emirate stands out from other Gulf cities because of “more flexible social norms on certain aspects of culture, such as alcohol consumption or dress codes”, said James Swanston of Capital Economics.

In Qatar, at normal times, alcohol sales are limited to one government shop and about 30 hotel bars and restaurants.

Organizers tried last week to reassure fans by announcing that beerhouses would be open for several hours around the stadium, and in FIFA’s main fan zone in Doha.