Qatar's World Cup organisers have unveiled camps in the desert for football fans from across the globe.
A live portal on Monday showed booking was available for prefabricated cabins in special 'fan villages' in three locations.
The cost of a two-person cabin starts at $207, with two single beds or one double on offer. They feature a bathroom, fridge, Wi-Fi and housekeeping, with restaurants and takeaways available in the village.
The camps, in Zafaran, Ras Bu Fontas and Rawdat Al Jahhaniya, are outside the city.
"Fan villages are located on the outskirts of Doha but are still accessible via public transport or rideshares, keeping you in easy reach of all of popular cultural attractions, as well as Fifa World Cup stadiums and activations," Qatar's Accommodation Agency said.
The camps have been billed as a low-cost alternative to hotels and Airbnb accommodation, which have been quickly snapped up by major sponsors, broadcasters and thousands of foreign officials.
The total price of a stay for two people throughout the full tournament could amount to $5,598, the portal shows, though few travelling fans are expect to stay for more than a few days.
Zafaran is the farthest from Doha International Airport to the far north, outside Lusail City, where Qatar's government built a complex from scratch for the World Cup.
Ras Bu Fontas is to south of the city, behind the airport and close to the Gulf coast. It has a stop on Doha's main metro line.
Rawdat Al Jahhaniya is to the west of Doha towards the desert. It is a 20-minute drive from the Corniche, but close to an hour on a public bus.
Last month, Fifa president Gianni Infantino said he expects Abu Dhabi and Dubai to be among the Gulf cities to score a tourism boost as some fans stay there and fly into Doha for matches.
Fans with tickets struggle to find accommodation
Tickets for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar are some of the most sought after in the tournament’s history, with 804,186 allocated in the first round of applications from 17 million requests.
A second sales window closed on April 28 at noon.
In total, slightly more than 3 million tickets were made available, but 1 million have been reserved for Fifa and its partners.
England fan Laura Roxburgh, who lives in Dubai, had high hopes of attending her second World Cup, but problems booking accommodation and flights have left her struggling to plan her trip.
“Most places are a three-night minimum stay for accommodation on the accredited Fifa site, other options are on cruise ships but they are expensive too – a cabin with no windows for around $350 a night,” she said.
“Apartment blocks show availability but it is hard to know where they are, how safe they are and if they are even completed – even those rooms are costing $450 a night.
“I haven’t booked anywhere yet as I don’t want to rush into book to stay in an area I don’t know.”
Ms Roxburgh, a PE teacher in Dubai, secured a semi-final ticket in the ballot, along with four friends, for $500 each.
So far, she said the process has been a lot more complicated and considerably more expensive than her trip to Russia for the World Cup in 2018.
"The flight prices are astronomical, around £800 [$1,000] for a return flight from Dubai to Doha seems to be the average, so we are thinking of driving,” said Ms Roxburgh, who has been in the UAE for six years.
“In Russia, I got semi-final tickets for England v Croatia after they came up on the resale market and got an indirect flight from Manchester to Moscow and it was easy to get accommodation.
“Here, we are just 40 minutes away and it is proving very difficult to book anything that is affordable."
A three-night stay on an MSC cruise ship to catch the opening games from November 21 will cost $347 per person, per night.
The MSC World Europa cruise ship hotel is a new vessel, with six swimming pools, 14 ocean-view Jacuzzis and a Balinese-style wellness centre. It also has 13 restaurants on board.
The ship will be moored at Doha's Grand Terminal, only a few minutes away from tourist spots such as Souq Waqif and the Museum of Islamic Art by shuttle bus.
Hotels are likely to be allocated to qualified teams before they are advertised for paying supporters, as many are already booked out for the tournament's duration.
Airbnb accommodation is another option for fans, although prices more than quadruple from the start to the end of the tournament.
A three-bed town house with marina views in the Pearl Quarter is currently available for $147 a night - but during the first week of the World Cup in November, such apartments are advertised for $1,600 a night.
A Hayya card gives fans in possession of a match ticket a visa to enter Qatar, stadium access and free public transport. But to register, they need to provide their accommodation details.
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
MATCH INFO:
Second Test
Pakistan v Australia, Tuesday-Saturday, 10am daily at Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Entrance is free
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MATCH INFO
Manchester City 3
Danilo (16'), Bernardo Silva (34'), Fernandinho (72')
Brighton & Hove Albion 1
Ulloa (20')
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
The years Ramadan fell in May
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The specs: 2018 Bentley Bentayga V8
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Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8
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Fuel economy, combined: 11.4L / 100km
Veil (Object Lessons)
Rafia Zakaria
Bloomsbury Academic
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
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RACE SCHEDULE
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Friday, September 29
First practice: 7am - 8.30am
Second practice: 11am - 12.30pm
Saturday, September 30
Qualifying: 1pm - 2pm
Sunday, October 1
Race: 11am - 1pm
The BIO:
He became the first Emirati to climb Mount Everest in 2011, from the south section in Nepal
He ascended Mount Everest the next year from the more treacherous north Tibetan side
By 2015, he had completed the Explorers Grand Slam
Last year, he conquered K2, the world’s second-highest mountain located on the Pakistan-Chinese border
He carries dried camel meat, dried dates and a wheat mixture for the final summit push
His new goal is to climb 14 peaks that are more than 8,000 metres above sea level
RESULT
Los Angeles Galaxy 2 Manchester United 5
Galaxy: Dos Santos (79', 88')
United: Rashford (2', 20'), Fellaini (26'), Mkhitaryan (67'), Martial (72')
Pieces of Her
Stars: Toni Collette, Bella Heathcote, David Wenham, Omari Hardwick
Director: Minkie Spiro
Rating:2/5
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Breast cancer in men: the facts
1) Breast cancer is men is rare but can develop rapidly. It usually occurs in those over the ages of 60, but can occasionally affect younger men.
2) Symptoms can include a lump, discharge, swollen glands or a rash.
3) People with a history of cancer in the family can be more susceptible.
4) Treatments include surgery and chemotherapy but early diagnosis is the key.
5) Anyone concerned is urged to contact their doctor
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