Doha’s Olympic dream
9 September 2025
Commentary
Colin Foreman
Editor
Read the September issue of MEED Business Review
Doha announced in late July that it will bid to host the 2036 Olympic Games. Hosting the world’s largest multi-sport event is a game-changing prospect for Qatar as its economy seeks a renewed sense of direction after hosting the Fifa World Cup in 2022.
While its economy has performed better than many expected, it has not maintained the vigour it enjoyed before the World Cup.
This is most notable in the construction sector, where there was a significant drop off in activity as the World Cup infrastructure construction programme drew to a close.
Few new projects have moved forward over the past three years.
The exception has been in the oil and gas sector. In October 2023, Qatar officially launched its $30bn North Field liquefied natural gas expansion project, which is being delivered with the engineering, procurement and construction of six large trains in two phases: North Field East and North Field South.
Hosting the world’s largest multi-sport event is a game-changing prospect for Qatar
In December 2020, Doha was selected to host the Asian Games in 2030. Having hosted the event in 2006, the selection has had little visible impact on the outlook for the Qatar economy. The Olympic Games, which is a much larger and international event, is a different proposition, with the potential to be a driving force for the economy for the next decade.
There is one crucial difference between Qatar’s Olympic bid and its World Cup bid in 2010. For the Olympics, Qatar has said that 95% of the required infrastructure is in place. This aligns neatly with the International Olympic Committee’s New Norm policy to be more sustainable. But it also means that while a 2036 Olympics will be an economic stimulant for the Qatari economy, there are diminishing returns when it comes to multiple large-scale international events.
READ THE SEPTEMBER 2025 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDF
Doha’s Olympic bid; Kuwait’s progress on crucial reforms reinforces sentiment; Downstream petrochemicals investments take centre stage
Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the September 2025 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
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> OLYMPICS: Qatar banks on infrastructure for Olympic bid
> QATAR TOURISM: Olympics bid aims to extend tourism gains
> CURRENT AFFAIRS: Syria charts post-war reconstruction course
> INDUSTRY REPORT: Regional chemicals spending set to soar
> DOWNSTREAM: Adnoc set to become a chemicals major
> SAUDI STADIUMS: Stadiums become main event for Saudi construction
> CONSTRUCTION: Middle East to be a growth leader for global construction
> LEADERSHIP: Dubai’s sea-air logistics model powers resilient trade
> KUWAIT MARKET FOCUS: Kuwait’s political hiatus brings opportunity
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READ THE SEPTEMBER 2025 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDFDoha’s Olympic bid; Kuwait’s progress on crucial reforms reinforces sentiment; Downstream petrochemicals investments take centre stage
Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the September 2025 edition of MEED Business Review includes:
> OLYMPICS: Qatar banks on infrastructure for Olympic bid> QATAR TOURISM: Olympics bid aims to extend tourism gains> CURRENT AFFAIRS: Syria charts post-war reconstruction course> INDUSTRY REPORT: Regional chemicals spending set to soar> DOWNSTREAM: Adnoc set to become a chemicals major> SAUDI STADIUMS: Stadiums become main event for Saudi construction> CONSTRUCTION: Middle East to be a growth leader for global construction> LEADERSHIP: Dubai’s sea-air logistics model powers resilient trade> KUWAIT MARKET FOCUS: Kuwait’s political hiatus brings opportunityTo see previous issues of MEED Business Review, please click herehttps://image.digitalinsightresearch.in/uploads/NewsArticle/14631920/main.jpg -
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