Travel advice for visiting Doha during the Fifa Football World Cup

Some 1.2 million individuals are expected to pour into Qatar in the course of the impending 2022 FIFA Globe Cup that begins this thirty day period.

With fans coming from all above the earth, achieving Qatar on the Arabian Peninsula, as effectively as receiving around once there, stays a concern. Estimates suggest that as lots of as fifty percent a million persons could be in the country each day in the course of the height of the competitors.

However, supporters have a selection of transportation solutions to pick out from ahead of the match.

Here’s a look at how to get there, where to go and how to move around.

Flying TO QATAR

Qatar has become a hub for East-West journey, thanks to its very long-haul provider Qatar Airways. By now, the airline is featuring tailor-made flight, lodge and ticket options for its shoppers. Dubai in the United Arab Emirates is gearing up to have its small-value carrier FlyDubai operate as a lot of as 30 journeys a working day into Doha to allow for spectators to enjoy a match and then shuttle back again to hotels in the emirate. Those flying in will land at Doha’s Hamad Worldwide Airport, a enormous airport that Qatar built for $26 billion and opened in 2014. The airport has plans to develop even further in 2022 to manage 58 million travellers a year. Passengers will distinct immigration and customs checks right before heading out into the city. Take note that through the event, Qatar will never be issuing usual visas and all those coming for the matches must have a Qatari-issued Hayya Card. The card verifies you have housing for the time you happen to be in the state or will travel in just for the match you happen to be viewing. The Hayya Card also is necessary for entry into stadiums. Also continue to keep in brain that Qatar has only just one land border, with Saudi Arabia, if you might be contemplating about driving.

CORONAVIRUS Concerns

Qatar has had stringent guidelines with regards to journey and the coronavirus considering the fact that the pandemic began, but they were loosened as of Nov. 1. Qatar has dropped a necessity for PCR tests prior to your excursion to the country, and mentioned it really is no longer needed to download its Ehteraz make contact with-tracing app.

HOW TO GET Close to QATAR

As you stroll out of the airport, you have quite a few possibilities on how to get around. Qatar’s point out-owned Mowasalat transportation company provides taxi cabs at curbside. Key trip-hailing apps like Uber also perform in Qatar. Mowasalat runs a bus services at the airport, way too. Doha also has a just lately built metro company, which will get you from the airport to most places in the money. The metro also connects to a tram now jogging in Lusail. You can lease a motor vehicle at the airport, while officials are urging these coming to the tournament to just take mass transit. On match day, general public transportation will be cost-free to those holding tickets. Retain in thoughts that Qatar’s riyal currency trades at $1 to 2.1 riyals. There are 100 dirhams in every single riyal.

Typical Vacation Tips

MFAT has posted an advisory for anybody travelling to Qatar this month.

With the country web hosting the substantial profile function their tips is to just take out detailed travel insurance coverage and to be knowledgeable that there are some customs and laws that could shock New Zealanders overseas.

“There are significant penalties for acts that could not be illegal or considered inappropriate in New Zealand.”

Community cyber legal guidelines make it an offense to insult many others by means of social media or on-line.

“This consists of offence brought about through on the internet mediums, and using pics of individuals without their authorization.”

Whilst it is not likely to be prosecuted on scale travellers are warnted that it is a crime punishable by up to a year in prison and/or a most high-quality of QR100,000 ($47,565).

Qatar has rigid guidelines governing liquor. Legal age is 21 an it is prohibited to consume in public or outside the house of licenced premises. Modesty and discretion are also encouraged with community displays of intimacy an arrestable offence.

Vacation advisories warn pre-marital intercourse and “homosexual behaviour” are unlawful.

The closest New Zealand embassay is found in the UAE in Abu Dhabi.

“Owing to the lack of Embassy existence in Qatar, the capability to give consular support is confined, specifically all through the Globe Cup.”

– AP with added reporting