What to know

Qatar Might Make Own Version of FIFA Fan ID

Qatar seeks to make own FIFA Fan ID similar to the ones introduced at the Russia 2018 World Cup

After its success in Russia 2018, Qatar is considering recreating the FIFA Fan ID for visitors during the 2022 World Cup.

Speaking at the Future of Football 2018 conference in Doha, the Secretary-General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, Hassan Al Thawadi, said that they are looking into issuing their own version of the FIFA Fan ID, which was first introduced during the Russia 2018 World Cup.

“Fan ID was a great success and it is something we are looking to emulate in Qatar,” Al Thawadi said. “We’re looking forward to evolving the system and making it work for our tournament.”

The Fan ID is a tag-like document that foreign visitors had to carry along to enter the stadiums and watch the matches. It also helped facilitate many things for visitors, such as visa-free entry into Russia until the end of 2018.

As a country with many expat workers, this initiative could help officials and law enforcement know who is a resident of the country and who is just visiting for the upcoming World Cup, in case they need to. It will also help restaurants, hotels and event locations figure out the same thing.

The Fan ID could also benefit restaurants, hotels, shopping malls and leisure centers, which can make use of the documents to offer special deals and discounts to visitors.

Al Thawadi also spoke about the country’s transportation plan, saying that the Doha Metro will be up and running by 2019. The IDs could double as metro cards, or even offer commuters free transportation to and from the games.

While it remains unclear how the IDs will work (beyond identification of course), the possibilities are endless and our people are innovative, so be sure that something great is in the making.

You Might Also Like