Qatar bids to host 2036 Olympic Games

(AFP): Doha is bidding to host the 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games, authorities said on Tuesday, as the wealthy Gulf state sets its sights on yet another major sport event to diversify its energy-reliant economy.

One of the smallest and wealthiest states in the Gulf, Qatar had already hosted the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Should it be chosen, Qatar would become the first country in the Middle East and North Africa to host the Olympic Games, said Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani.

“The official bid submitted by the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) to host the 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games represents a new milestone in Qatar’s journey,” he said in a statement shared on the official Qatar News Agency.

“The bid builds on Qatar’s proven track record of successfully hosting major international sporting events, most notably the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022,” Sheikh Mohammed added.

Amnesty International and other rights groups claimed thousands of migrant workers died in the lead-up to the 2022 tournament, though Doha has said only 37 workers on World Cup projects perished — and only three in work-related accidents.

QOC President Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani said Doha had “made sport a central pillar of our national strategy”.

“We currently have 95 per cent of the required sports infrastructure in place to host the Games, and we have a comprehensive national plan to ensure 100pc readiness of all facilities,” he said.

Countries are no longer required to make their Olympic bids public. The Games are meant to rotate continents every season.

With the 2024, 2028, and 2032 editions set for Europe, North America, and Oceania, there are high chances the 2036 Olympic Games will be held in Asia — or in Africa, which would be a first.

Choosing the next host of the games will be the first major project for the International Olympic Committee’s new president, Kirsty Coventry, who last month became the first woman to lead the body.