Two cruise ships docked in Doha's West Bay offer some of the more expensive options for fans attending the World Cup later this year.
The luxury cruise liners ― the four-star MSC Poesia and five-star MSC World Europa ― will between them offer more than 3,800 cabins capable of accommodating just under 10,000 guests.
While accommodation for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar is likely to be more expensive than normal, fans who decide to book a night on board the MSC Poesia can expect to pay at least $179 per night including breakfast, for a room with no windows, the official website shows.
With a minimum of two nights' stay for most bookings, fans are looking at paying at least $358 per stay for a room that accommodates up to two guests.
The cheapest rate available on board the MSC World Europa is about $350 for a double/twin room, with a buffet breakfast. The most expensive room is priced at about $795, can sleep four and comes with full board.
Dates are already starting to fill up, with rooms unavailable from November 23 to December 2 on the MSC Poesia and from November 26 to December 1 on the MSC World Europa.
Both cruise ship hotels offer a variety of cabin options, from traditional and ocean-view rooms to those in the interior that have no windows.
Those who book the MSC Poesia will have access to three swimming pools, spa and wellness centres, a poolside cinema, tennis and basketball court, as well as restaurants and bars.
The MSC World Europa, which launched in December, has the longest dry-slide at sea, six swimming pools, 14 ocean-view Jacuzzis, spa and wellness centre, shops and a collection of restaurants and bars.
Prices increase
While the price per room remains the same throughout the tournament, the number of minimum nights per stay can increase, the nearer the dates are to the closing stages of the tournament, depending on the choice of room and ship.
For dates around the semi-final, a three-night minimum stay is expected, while for the final and third-place play-off, there's a minimum stay of four nights.
For the World Cup final, the cheapest four-night stay on board MSC Poesia is $717, including buffet breakfast.
The most expensive cabin for the final is on the MSC World Europa, at $3,183 for four nights ― in a room that sleeps four, offers sea views and includes full board.
Moored at Doha’s Grand Terminal during the tournament, the ships will be situated 10 minutes by shuttle from the centre of Doha, Souq Waqif. The closest World Cup venue will be Stadium 974, less than two kilometres away.
Various options have been announced by World Cup organisers, including a desert camp that will set you back $207 per night, with two single beds or one double on offer.
The camp quarters have bathrooms, fridges, Wi-Fi and housekeeping, with restaurants and takeaways available in the village.
Fans 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.
In total, slightly more than three million tickets were made available, but one million have been reserved for Fifa and its partners.
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 Hayya card gives fans with a match ticket a visa to enter Qatar, stadium access and free public transport. But to register, they need to provide their accommodation details.
PRO BASH
Thursday’s fixtures
6pm: Hyderabad Nawabs v Pakhtoon Warriors
10pm: Lahore Sikandars v Pakhtoon Blasters
Teams
Chennai Knights, Lahore Sikandars, Pakhtoon Blasters, Abu Dhabi Stars, Abu Dhabi Dragons, Pakhtoon Warriors and Hyderabad Nawabs.
Squad rules
All teams consist of 15-player squads that include those contracted in the diamond (3), platinum (2) and gold (2) categories, plus eight free to sign team members.
Tournament rules
The matches are of 25 over-a-side with an 8-over power play in which only two fielders allowed outside the 30-yard circle. Teams play in a single round robin league followed by the semi-finals and final. The league toppers will feature in the semi-final eliminator.
ETFs explained
Exhchange traded funds are bought and sold like shares, but operate as index-tracking funds, passively following their chosen indices, such as the S&P 500, FTSE 100 and the FTSE All World, plus a vast range of smaller exchanges and commodities, such as gold, silver, copper sugar, coffee and oil.
ETFs have zero upfront fees and annual charges as low as 0.07 per cent a year, which means you get to keep more of your returns, as actively managed funds can charge as much as 1.5 per cent a year.
There are thousands to choose from, with the five biggest providers BlackRock’s iShares range, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisors SPDR ETFs, Deutsche Bank AWM X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.
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'The Ice Road'
Director: Jonathan Hensleigh
Stars: Liam Neeson, Amber Midthunder, Laurence Fishburne
2/5
Tori Amos
Native Invader
Decca
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
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
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More on animal trafficking
ACL Elite (West) - fixtures
Monday, Sept 30
Al Sadd v Esteghlal (8pm)
Persepolis v Pakhtakor (8pm)
Al Wasl v Al Ahli (8pm)
Al Nassr v Al Rayyan (10pm)
Tuesday, Oct 1
Al Hilal v Al Shorta (10pm)
Al Gharafa v Al Ain (10pm)
The bio:
Favourite film:
Declan: It was The Commitments but now it’s Bohemian Rhapsody.
Heidi: The Long Kiss Goodnight.
Favourite holiday destination:
Declan: Las Vegas but I also love getting home to Ireland and seeing everyone back home.
Heidi: Australia but my dream destination would be to go to Cuba.
Favourite pastime:
Declan: I love brunching and socializing. Just basically having the craic.
Heidi: Paddleboarding and swimming.
Personal motto:
Declan: Take chances.
Heidi: Live, love, laugh and have no regrets.
