Fans with World Cup tickets who are struggling to find a hotel room in Doha will be offered Bedouin-style desert tents as Qatar expands accommodation options for the tournament in November.
More than 1.2 million tourists are expected in the Gulf state for the month-long festival of football, but not all of them can easily find places to stay.
Neighbouring GCC nations will pick up the slack, and many supporters plan to use the UAE as their base and fly to Qatar for matches.
Organisers in Qatar said 1,000 tents will be up for rent, 200 of them offering luxury “glamping” accommodation for those in need of more comfortable surroundings, Reuters reported. Prices were not yet available.
“In total, we have more than 100,000 rooms and still there are some new options,” said Omar Al Jaber, head of accommodation at tournament organiser the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy.
“We will give the opportunity for fans to live in a desert, to offer visitors an authentic taste of Qatari camping.”
Qatar Tourism said about 30,000 hotel rooms were available, but the many fans directed to booking portals after buying tickets were unable to find places to stay because 24,000 of those rooms are set aside for FIFA and tournament sponsors.
More rooms are expected to become available closer to tournament kick-off on November 21 as block-bookings no longer required by teams, media and match officials are released.
Non-hotel accommodation has been topped up for the World Cup with 4,000 cabins on board two cruise ships moored in Doha port for about $350 a night.
Temporary fan sites in $200-a-night converted-shipping containers on the outskirts of the city are available, as are shared villas and flats that provide Airbnb type stays.
Regional airlines and private charter operators have arranged extra landing slots during the tournament, with more than 180 daily shuttle flights expected into Doha from cities nearby.
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The 'MSC World Europa' cruise ship. Photo: MSC Cruises -
The 'MSC Opera' will be sent to Qatar to join two other ships, the 'MSC Poesia' and the 'MSC World Europa'. The vessels will cater to football fans. AFP -
The 'MSC Poesia' will be docked at Doha Port, near West Bay. Photo: MSC Cruises -
Rooms on the three ships range from $220 to $469 a night but prices can be higher during weekends. Photo: MSC Cruises -
A family cabin on the 'MSC Poesia'. Photo: MSC Cruises -
Villa Pompeiana, a restaurant on the 'MSC Poesia'. Photo: MSC Cruises -
The S32 Disco on the 'MSC Poesia' can accommodate up to 172 guests. Photo: MSC Cruises -
The Coral Bay pool area on the 'MSC Poesia'. Photo: MSC Cruises -
The promenade on the 'MSC World Europa'. Photo: MSC Cruises
Only those with a registered fan identity cards for the tournament, allocated with a match ticket, will be given access to Qatar for the duration of the tournament that ends on December 18.
In May, it was announced that residents of Qatar will be allowed to host a limited number of tourists.
A maximum of 10 guests will be allowed to stay at a residential address, as long as it is registered on the official FIFA Qatar World Cup accommodation website https://www.qatar2022.qa/en/home.
