DOHA: The Local Organizing Committee of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 announced on Wednesday the completion of all organizational arrangements for the continental championship in line with the planned coordination by all entities involved in organizing the continental event, with the competitions set to kick off on Friday and continue until February 10.
Executive Director of Communication and Marketing at the Local Organizing Committee, Hassan Rabia Al Kuwari, underlined Qatar's readiness to host the tournament in terms of logistics, stadiums, services, and match operations.
During a press conference held at the main media centre in Msheireb Downtown Doha, Al Kuwari revealed the sale of nearly 900,000 tickets for the matches so far, anticipating that this number would surpass expectations due to the high public interest in the tournament. He also mentioned that over 2,000 journalists from around the world would cover the continental event.
Al Kuwari stated that Qatar is the first country to host the AFC Asian Cup three times, and it aims to leverage the legacy of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. The tournament matches will be held in seven World Cup stadiums, providing a unique experience for spectators. The opening and final will take place at the full-capacityLusail Stadium.
Regarding volunteers, Al Kuwari said that 6,000 volunteers from 107 different nationalities are ready to contribute in various roles across 20 tournament locations.
He highlighted that citizens of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries can enter Qatar without additional measures, using the Hayya platform.
Executive Director of Transport and Logistics Services in the organizing committee, Faisal Al Miftah, assured that transportation services are fully prepared to serve visitors and fans.
With 37 metro stations in Qatar, including five directly connected to stadiums and four others to be linked through the tournament transportation network, the organizers have a comprehensive plan to facilitate travel during the competition. He added that 600 environmentally friendly electric buses will serve guests and media. Additionally, 81,000 parking spaces are available around the nine tournament stadiums.
Executive Director of Joint Services at Qatar Tourism, Omar Al Jaber, confirmed the readiness to welcome all tournament visitors, praising Qatar's reputation for hosting major events and gaining international acclaim.
He highlighted various events, promotions, and activities, including the Qatar Shopping Festival, the Qatar International Food Festival at Al Bidda Park, the Qatar Watch and Jewelry Exhibition, the Doha Expo, and the 'Hello Asia' event in the Lusail area, featuring daily parades and fan activities at Souq Waqif, the Old Doha Port, and Katara Cultural Village.
On his part, Maj Abdulrahman Mohammed Saad Al Tamimi, the representative of the championship security force, affirmed the full security readiness of the championship from all aspects. He pointed out that Qatar is one of the safest countries globally, based on the security success of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, where no incidents were recorded during event monitoring and securing fan mobility. Operations rooms are present in all championship areas to organize crowd control according to the latest standards, he said. The championship security force has completed its plans and programmes, and all participants have undergone leadership-level training courses in security and safety tasks, he pointed out.
He explained that the overall security plan at the Ministry of Interior has been completed, and traffic is being organized away from match venues.
Al Tamimi urged the fans to cooperate with the championship security force and adhere to laws and regulations, as the security and safety of the championship are a joint responsibility of everyone.
