World Cup fever cooled by Qatar costs

Qatar’s World Cup will be the first on Arab soil but despite excitement in the Middle East, the fervour is not universal in a region usually united by its passion for football.

Although the November 20-December 18 tournament is geographically close for many Arab fans, high costs are a problem as a cocktail of crises and economic woes plague much of the Middle East and North Africa.

“Accommodation and transport costs are exorbitant,” said Makram Abed, who runs a 40,000-strong Facebook fan page for Tunisia’s national side, one of the four Arab teams qualified along with Qatar, Morocco and Saudi Arabia.

Qatar “could have offered preferential prices” to fans in the region, Abed told AFP, although Qatar says it has subsidised the cost of accommodation available on its official portal.

Abed was one of several fans contacted by AFP in a straw poll of supporters across the region, whose population is more than 400 million.

World Cups have traditionally attracted more affluent supporters than weekly club football, whose fanbase is often working-class, football historian Paul Dietschy told AFP.

The World Cup in Qatar “reinforces” the universal trend of a growing gap between the rich and the poor, Dietschy said.

Even in oil-rich Saudi Arabia, which has the Arab world’s largest economy and shares a land border with Qatar, fans said the costs were prohibitive.

“You have to take out a loan to attend the three (group) matches,” said 25-year-old Saudi student Mouhannad, who asked not to be identified by his full name.

According to FIFA, Qatar has topped the list of countries for World Cup ticket purchases, which neared three million.