A Mexican centre in Qatar will serve as an extension of the embassy, providing information and consular assistance, among other services, to Mexican football fans during the FIFA World Cup 2022 in the country, Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) Strategy and Public Diplomacy Unit executive director Alfonso Zegbe has said.
“Thanks to the excellent relations between Mexico and Qatar, we will be operating a Mexican Centre at Katara - Cultural Village, from November 15 to December 21, due to the large number of Mexican fans expected in Qatar for the World Cup, ” he told Gulf Times on the sidelines of his visit to Qatar on Monday.
It is estimated that the number of Mexican football fans who will be travelling to Qatar could exceed 80,000, which will be the largest presence of Mexicans in a Middle Eastern country in history.
Such strategy consists of two stages: a preventive campaign before the trip and the opening of the centre in Qatar with a multidisciplinary team drawn from MoFA, the National Guard, and other federal agencies.
Zegbe, who is also the co-ordinator general of Mexico’s Strategy for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, said the Government of Mexico has been delivering messages to Mexican fans through social media platforms.
He added that Minister of Foreign Affairs Marcelo Ebrard also announced preventive measures on “what you can do, what you cannot do, but also how important it is to learn about the cultural context in Qatar.”
“We want people to be well informed and prepared but also what requirements they need to come to Qatar such as about the Hayya card, their medical coverage, hotel bookings, and the Ehteraz app, among others.
“What the Mexican government is doing through the MoFA is informing people that there’s a travel guide where we update all the information about Qatar and other countries for Mexicans, what they need, what's happening there… and there is also a system for Mexicans to register when they go abroad for protection measures,” Zegbe said, adding that a web platform called “My Consulate” can be used in seeking for assistance.
He noted that the Mexican football team will be arriving two to three days before the start of the tournament, and will be playing on November 21 against Poland; November 26 against Argentina; and November 30 against Saudi Arabia.
About how special is the tournament for Mexico and its people, Zegbe said the World Cup in Qatar is important as it already broke prejudices, organising it for the first time in the Middle East – in a country of Arab culture and Islamic tradition.
“The legacy of Qatar is very important for us, it’s a learning process, we are learning a lot because it’s a different world from where when Mexico was organising the World Cup in 1970 and 1986,” he said, highlighting the importance of keeping people safe during the tournament.
Zegbe noted that it will be the first time a country like Mexico to host three World Cups: 1970, 1986 and in 2026 (together with the US and Canada).
“It’s historical because Mexico will be by then the only country to organise a World Cup three times. Also, historically, this will be the first time that three countries together will organise the tournament and this will show how we work together as North American countries not just for trade and value chains and also for tourism and international events. That's part of the North American spirit,” he added.
Zegbe, who has been visiting Qatar for the last five years, lauded the country’s World Cup preparations, saying he was impressed by the transportation system, infrastructure and new buildings, and stadiums.
“Thanks to the excellent relations between Mexico and Qatar, we will be operating a Mexican Centre at Katara - Cultural Village, from November 15 to December 21, due to the large number of Mexican fans expected in Qatar for the World Cup, ” he told Gulf Times on the sidelines of his visit to Qatar on Monday.
It is estimated that the number of Mexican football fans who will be travelling to Qatar could exceed 80,000, which will be the largest presence of Mexicans in a Middle Eastern country in history.
Such strategy consists of two stages: a preventive campaign before the trip and the opening of the centre in Qatar with a multidisciplinary team drawn from MoFA, the National Guard, and other federal agencies.
Zegbe, who is also the co-ordinator general of Mexico’s Strategy for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, said the Government of Mexico has been delivering messages to Mexican fans through social media platforms.
He added that Minister of Foreign Affairs Marcelo Ebrard also announced preventive measures on “what you can do, what you cannot do, but also how important it is to learn about the cultural context in Qatar.”
“We want people to be well informed and prepared but also what requirements they need to come to Qatar such as about the Hayya card, their medical coverage, hotel bookings, and the Ehteraz app, among others.
“What the Mexican government is doing through the MoFA is informing people that there’s a travel guide where we update all the information about Qatar and other countries for Mexicans, what they need, what's happening there… and there is also a system for Mexicans to register when they go abroad for protection measures,” Zegbe said, adding that a web platform called “My Consulate” can be used in seeking for assistance.
He noted that the Mexican football team will be arriving two to three days before the start of the tournament, and will be playing on November 21 against Poland; November 26 against Argentina; and November 30 against Saudi Arabia.
About how special is the tournament for Mexico and its people, Zegbe said the World Cup in Qatar is important as it already broke prejudices, organising it for the first time in the Middle East – in a country of Arab culture and Islamic tradition.
“The legacy of Qatar is very important for us, it’s a learning process, we are learning a lot because it’s a different world from where when Mexico was organising the World Cup in 1970 and 1986,” he said, highlighting the importance of keeping people safe during the tournament.
Zegbe noted that it will be the first time a country like Mexico to host three World Cups: 1970, 1986 and in 2026 (together with the US and Canada).
“It’s historical because Mexico will be by then the only country to organise a World Cup three times. Also, historically, this will be the first time that three countries together will organise the tournament and this will show how we work together as North American countries not just for trade and value chains and also for tourism and international events. That's part of the North American spirit,” he added.
Zegbe, who has been visiting Qatar for the last five years, lauded the country’s World Cup preparations, saying he was impressed by the transportation system, infrastructure and new buildings, and stadiums.
