Sheikh Abdulla bin Fahad bin Jassem bin Jabor Al Thani, Chairman of GWC, (left) and Ranjeev Menon, Group CEO of GWC
Meet the logistics crew working behind the scenes to stage the world’s greatest sporting occasion: the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022
From 21 November to 18 December this 12 months, Qatar will host the twenty second version of worldwide soccer’s showpiece occasion: the FIFA World Cup.
It would be the first version of the event to happen within the Middle East and Arab world; and solely the second in Asia, after the Korea Republic and Japan shared internet hosting duties in 2002.
A decade within the making
“We have been trying ahead to the World Cup for extra nearly ten years now,” says Sheikh Abdulla bin Fahad bin Jassem bin Jabor Al Thani, Chairman of GWC, Qatar’s main logistics firm, and the Official Host Nation Provider for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™. “It is a vital second for Qatar, showcasing every thing the nation has completed, and likewise for GWC. It is testomony to our unimaginable progress over the previous 18 years.”
“Being named the Official Logistics Provider for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 was a momentous event for us, demonstrating how far we’ve come since 2004,” stated Shaikh Abdulla.
“Hard work, sturdy perception in our values and unwavering dedication to supply has helped us obtain this aim. FIFA recognised this dedication, together with our dedication to coaching and innovation, and trusted us to play a key function in organising the most important single-sport occasion on the planet – and probably the most prestigious sporting occasion ever to be held within the Middle East and Arab world.”
The occasion will probably be a gargantuan accomplishment by any measure. The GWC crew has been planning for the World Cup for eight years. And their journey will proceed as soon as the estimated 1 million guests – to a rustic of simply 2.88 million folks – have returned house.
While the world is mesmerised by the motion on the pitch, it’s the work behind the scenes that may depart an actual legacy – for Qatar, the MENA area and the world.
Coordinating a rustic
Take all of the folks out, flip the stadium the other way up and shake it. Everything that falls out, logistics will ship.
This contains food and drinks and the kitchens they’re ready in; the seats followers sit on, the LED screens that information them across the stadium, and the tickets they use to achieve entry; the kits the gamers put on and the published gear wanted to transmit the world’s greatest sporting occasion to billions of followers across the globe.
It’s a logistical enterprise with few equals that may draw closely on GWC’s 3,800,000m² of infrastructure, unfold throughout 19 logistical hubs, related by 1,600 specialist autos and a 3,600-strong workforce.
And when it’s time to ship the legacy mandate, Qatar has clear plans. There will probably be no ‘white elephants’, the place venues had been left to collect mud. Some Qatar 2022 stadiums may have seating eliminated to be donated to nations which lack sporting infrastructure, whereas different venues will probably be transformed into amenities for the local people.
“Some seats will probably be auctioned, some will go to charity, some will stay, and a few will probably be dismantled,” says Ranjeev Menon, Group CEO of GWC. The activity of taking every thing down is slated to final six months.
Staging the world’s greatest sporting occasion
When Qatar received the bid to host the FIFA World Cup in 2010, “It was a proud second for the nation,” says Menon. “There had been tears in folks’s eyes.”
The stakes had been excessive, and GWC is a comparatively younger firm. The final Official Logistics Provider for the FIFA World Cup™ was Kuhne & Nagel, a 100-year veteran of the trade. GWC was solely established inside the final 20 years. Planning started instantly.
Safe and sustainable
An indication of the occasions and fashionable duties, there are two extra issues for GWC to account for: Covid security, and sustainability. The World Cup is at present anticipated to be freed from pandemic-related restrictions. But ought to that change, GWC is prepared.
The identical process was scaled up for the FIFA Arab Cup later within the 12 months. “We had six stadiums with a number of video games and a substantial variety of followers,” says Menon. “It was an awesome alternative to check our energy by way of our infrastructure, and COVID compliance.”
Qatar 2022 can also be being billed as probably the most sustainable version of the event in historical past. “All the stadiums have been designed to scale back power consumption by 30%-35% in comparison with comparable developments. In addition, Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium was constructed with 90% recycled supplies,” says Menon. For its half, GWC is consolidating in- and out-bound deliveries as a lot as doable, using photo voltaic panels to energy its infrastructure, regenerating water, and making certain all packaging is biodegradable the place doable.
Lasting affect
“The World Cup is a tremendous alternative to ship an exquisite celebration of soccer, tradition and hospitality,” says Menon. “But its most lasting affect will probably be within the wider financial system. It is a catalyst for nationwide improvement and innovation. The preparations have already accelerated Qatar National Vision 2030.”
It’s a aim that GWC is actively supporting, having not too long ago opened its largest logistics park to this point, a colossal 1,500,000m² one-stop-shop that caters particularly to small-, medium-, and micro-businesses. The website caters to all their industrial wants, in addition to affording a possibility to community with like-minded organizations. “We act as an enabler or catalyst between these small and medium firms, and the businesses that may are available in through the FIFA World Cup,” says Menon.
Once the cameras have left, the world will transfer on. But the connections and expertise cast within the event’s herculean logistics will reverberate for years.
https://thepeninsulaqatar.com/article/26/05/2022/delivering-glory
