Qatar Shares Tournament Hosting Expertise with Africa

Qatar is sharing its expertise in hosting world-class sporting events with football associations from around the globe through the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025 Observation Programme.

The five-day programme, currently underway, brings together 55 representatives to learn from the Local Organising Committee (LOC) and the Qatar Football Association. It aims to impart key learnings from Qatar’s successful track record in staging major tournaments.

Participants will receive hands-on experience across various operational areas, including ticketing, medical services, security protocols, and marketing rights delivery. Visits to key tournament venues – stadiums, training grounds, the Main Media Centre, and accreditation facilities – are also planned.

“We created this programme because federations worldwide have been eager to learn from Qatar’s success in hosting world-class events. Our achievements in sports and entertainment have made us a global reference point, and we’re proud of that,” said Jassim Al Jassim, CEO of the LOC. “Qatar consistently pushes boundaries to deliver exceptional experiences for fans and athletes alike. Sharing our expertise with industry partners is central to our commitment to building a legacy that extends far beyond any single event, creating sustainable impact across sectors.”

Qatar has become a prominent sporting destination, particularly since hosting the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, widely hailed as the best edition in the tournament’s history. The nation also successfully hosted the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023.

More recently, Qatar staged the inaugural 48-team FIFA U-17 World Cup, utilizing a centralized venue format for all 104 matches. Currently, the country is also hosting the final three matches of the FIFA Intercontinental Cup Qatar 2025 alongside the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025, further demonstrating its organizational prowess.

Natasha Al Naber, Competitions Officer of the West Asian Football Federation, lauded the opportunity. “It’s great to be in Qatar and be part of this knowledge-sharing opportunity. Qatar has successfully hosted a number of tournaments, especially the World Cup in 2022, which is one of the most impressive editions to date. By working with the organising committee in Qatar, we are able to better understand the various operational aspects involved in tournaments and how multiple stakeholders work together to deliver the event. This is valuable knowledge that I will be taking back to our federation to help us host competitions in the future,” she stated.

Norman Gwangwadza, Head of Finance and Administration at the Zimbabwe Football Association, emphasized the importance of planning. “Qatar has proven to be excellent hosts yet again, with the delivery of the U-17 World Cup and the Arab Cup. Through this programme, I have learned that planning is key for delivering major tournaments, especially in areas of procurement, transportation and resource management. I hope I will be able to apply all these lessons learned during the programme in organising future tournaments,” he explained.

Edna Nisola, Media and Marketing Committee Member of the Northern Mariana Islands Football Association, highlighted the insights into fan engagement. “It is an exciting time to be in Qatar. We are in the middle of a busy football season in the country. This is a wonderful opportunity to learn about what goes on behind the scenes when delivering a mega-sporting event. I am keen on learning more about enhancing fan experiences through the LOC’s comprehensive marketing and event strategies that have been successful for every tournament,” she said.

In recent weeks, the LOC has also hosted representatives from the FIFA World Cup Saudi Arabia 2034 and the AFC Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2027, sharing the lessons learned from Qatar’s groundbreaking hosting of the FIFA World Cup in the Arab world and the Middle East.

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