Two US mayors have congratulated FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 CEO Nasser Fahad al-Khater on the success of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson and al-Khater discussed the importance of sharing lessons learned from the event, as Dallas will host games during the North America FIFA World Cup in 2026.
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor emphasised the benefits of major sporting events for a city’s economy, and the economic development that hosting Super Bowls and other mega-sport events had helped bring to the city of Tampa.
Al-Khater explained how Qatar had worked to maximize the value of the World Cup for Qatar’s economic development beginning immediately after being named to host the event, and how Qatar’s tourism industry has benefited as a result.
Mayor Johnson discussed the broader social benefits of sports, including as a means of bringing communities together, particularly in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and the extent to which it has increased social isolation globally.
He also talked about how the city of Dallas had already begun to see benefits through the city’s preparation for the World Cup, including not only economic development but also improvements in critical city services.
Al-Khater shared how the World Cup had helped to accelerate the realization of Qatar’s National Vision 2030 and how the process of preparing for the games had improved the quality of life in Qatar and helped achieve development objectives.
The discussions were held at a session of the Qatar Economic Forum, powered by Bloomberg, on Wednesday.
