Football fans in Doha have spent the days since the Fifa World Cup quarter-finals searching for last-minute tickets for this week's semi-finals, with some being sold on the secondary market for as much as Dh6,000 ($1,600).
The search for tickets comes as only four matches remain in the 64-match tournament.
Croatia v Argentina on Tuesday night and France v Morocco on Wednesday will be followed by the third-place play-off on Saturday and the final on Sunday.
With Morocco the first African and Arab country to reach a World Cup semi-final, the search is ever more desperate for some. Tickets for Wednesday night are going for between Dh3,000 and Dh6,000, some fans have said.
I will keep searching around asking people, as I can’t afford to pay a large sum of money
Dario Gonzalo,
Argentina fan
At Fifa’s official ticketing centre in central Doha on Monday, security guards and employees told dozens of fans that no tickets were available.
A guard outside the office told The National there had been “many people coming in the last two days asking for match tickets”.
"The centre hasn't offered any match tickets for the last two weeks but people still pouring into the centre," the security guard said.
It has become commonplace to see fans walking around the stadiums before matches with a note handwritten on a piece of cardboard saying: “I need a ticket.”
Dario Gonzalo, a 30-year-old Argentina fan, arrived at the centre on Monday hopeful of picking up a ticket for Tuesday's game.
“I couldn’t get a match ticket yet and the one in the market is about Dh2,800. They told me here in the ticketing centre that there are no tickets,” said Mr Gonzalo.
He was at the Argentina v Netherlands quarter-final and decided to stay on in Doha, despite not having a ticket for the semi-final against Croatia.
“I will keep searching around asking people, as I can’t afford to pay a large sum of money,” he said
Football fans from nations other than the four left in the competition were also in search of tickets.
“I know Brazil left the tournament but I want to enjoy the semi-final match between Morocco and France," said Lucas Miguel from Brazil.
"I have been searching for a match ticket with a reasonable price but things aren’t promising yet.
“The centre told me there are no tickets. It cost Dh3,000 minimum for France v Morocco which is being sold by a secondary market.”
Paul Liew, a 51-year-old Malaysian fan who travelled from Kuala Lumpur to Doha with his wife to watch the quarter-final match between Argentina and the Netherlands, was searching for tickets for Tuesday and the final on Sunday.
“I have a ticket for Argentina v Croatia match but was looking if there were any more tickets for the final match or France v Morocco. It is my second World Cup after 2018,” Mr Liew said.
“I bought the ticket a while ago through the Fifa website. I waited for four hours in the online queue to get the ticket. As a big fan of Argentina, I might buy the final match ticket if they qualify.”
With fans allowed to enter Qatar without a ticket, many have travelled in the hope of getting one in Doha.
Dubai resident Hicham Hansali, 48, flew to Qatar for the World Cup's opening stages and has stayed on since, following Morocco's incredible run to the semi-final.
He told The National that many fellow Moroccans have been calling him asking if he can get a ticket for Wednesday's match.
“I have a ticket for the Morocco match on Wednesday against France but many people are contacting me for tickets. A lot of Moroccan people arrived but without tickets,” Mr Hansali said.
Argentina fan Hassan Ali, 31, said he had visited the centre every day in the slim hope of being able to obtain a match ticket.
“I’m from Oman but I'm in love with Argentina. I spent hours on Fifa's online platform looking for tickets being resold by other fans but found nothing,” Mr Ali said.
"It must be that people choose to sell them outside the platform because they will make more profit."
Before the tournament started, tickets were sold in phases on a first-come, first-served basis through an online queuing system on the official Qatar World Cup website.
As early as July, Qatar's Justice Ministry warned that anyone who sells or exchanges tickets for the World Cup without permission from Fifa will face a fine of up to 250,000 riyals ($66,000).
Last month, three men were arrested in Qatar for reselling tickets in the week before the tournament started.
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
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Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
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Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
Dhadak
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Stars: 3
The specs: 2019 Infiniti QX50
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Transmission: Continuously variable transmission
Power: 268hp @ 5,600rpm
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Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
What's in the deal?
Agreement aims to boost trade by £25.5bn a year in the long run, compared with a total of £42.6bn in 2024
India will slash levies on medical devices, machinery, cosmetics, soft drinks and lamb.
India will also cut automotive tariffs to 10% under a quota from over 100% currently.
Indian employees in the UK will receive three years exemption from social security payments
India expects 99% of exports to benefit from zero duty, raising opportunities for textiles, marine products, footwear and jewellery
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Who is Mohammed Al Halbousi?
The new speaker of Iraq’s parliament Mohammed Al Halbousi is the youngest person ever to serve in the role.
The 37-year-old was born in Al Garmah in Anbar and studied civil engineering in Baghdad before going into business. His development company Al Hadeed undertook reconstruction contracts rebuilding parts of Fallujah’s infrastructure.
He entered parliament in 2014 and served as a member of the human rights and finance committees until 2017. In August last year he was appointed governor of Anbar, a role in which he has struggled to secure funding to provide services in the war-damaged province and to secure the withdrawal of Shia militias. He relinquished the post when he was sworn in as a member of parliament on September 3.
He is a member of the Al Hal Sunni-based political party and the Sunni-led Coalition of Iraqi Forces, which is Iraq’s largest Sunni alliance with 37 seats from the May 12 election.
He maintains good relations with former Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki’s State of Law Coaliton, Hadi Al Amiri’s Badr Organisation and Iranian officials.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Mamo Year it started: 2019 Founders: Imad Gharazeddine, Asim Janjua Based: Dubai, UAE Number of employees: 28 Sector: Financial services Investment: $9.5m Funding stage: Pre-Series A Investors: Global Ventures, GFC, 4DX Ventures, AlRajhi Partners, Olive Tree Capital, and prominent Silicon Valley investors. First Person
Richard Flanagan
Chatto & Windus
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If you go...
Fly from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Chiang Mai in Thailand, via Bangkok, before taking a five-hour bus ride across the Laos border to Huay Xai. The land border crossing at Huay Xai is a well-trodden route, meaning entry is swift, though travellers should be aware of visa requirements for both countries.
Flights from Dubai start at Dh4,000 return with Emirates, while Etihad flights from Abu Dhabi start at Dh2,000. Local buses can be booked in Chiang Mai from around Dh50
TICKETS
Tickets start at Dh100 for adults, while children can enter free on the opening day. For more information, visit www.mubadalawtc.com.
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