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Qatar launches bid to host 2036 Olympic Games

31 July 2025

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The Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) has announced a bid to host the 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

If successful, Qatar would be the first country in the Middle East and North Africa to host the event.

Qatar hosted the men’s Fifa World Cup in 2022 and already has “95% of required sports infrastructure in place to host the Games” and “a comprehensive national plan to ensure 100% readiness of all facilities”, said QOC president Sheikh Joaan Bin Hamad Al‑Thani.

“This move underscores the State of Qatar’s unwavering commitment to supporting the Olympic and Paralympic Movements and its keen interest in playing an active role in the advancement of global sport,” a QOC statement said.

“Building on the monumental success of the Fifa World Cup Qatar 2022, we reaffirm our readiness to bring the world together under the banner of the Olympic values just as we did in 2022, when Doha welcomed over one million travelling fans from around the globe.

“Our journey to 2022 was one of tremendous growth. The path toward 2036 will build on that foundation with a new kind of legacy: an achievement that crowns Qatar’s efforts to develop skills and create economic opportunities for all its people.

“This plan is rooted in a long-term vision aimed at building a socially, economically and environmentally sustainable legacy. Our objective goes beyond simply organising a successful event. We aim to deliver a global experience that reinforces the values of inclusivity, sustainability and international collaboration.”

On 31 July, the QOC formed a bid committee for the 2036 Games, chaired by Sheikh Joaan, with Sheikha Hind Bint Hamad Al‑Thani, vice-chairperson of Qatar Foundation, as vice-chair.

If Qatar’s bid succeeds, the 2036 Games will likely move to winter to avoid extreme summer heat – as the 2022 World Cup did.

Other confirmed bidders for 2036 include Istanbul (Turkiye), Ahmedabad (India), Nusantara (Indonesia) and Santiago (Chile).

Reported potential bidders include Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Egypt, Italy, Germany, Denmark and Canada.

Qatar previously bid unsuccessfully for the 2016 and 2020 Olympics, which ultimately went to Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo.

The Summer Olympics are scheduled for Los Angeles, US, in 2028 and Brisbane, Australia, in 2032.

Qatar’s bid reflects a broader Gulf strategy to position the region as a premier destination for major international sports events.

Doha will host the Asian Games in 2030, one year after Saudi Arabia hosts the Asian Winter Games in Trojena.

In March, Asia Rugby chief Qais Al‑Dhalai announced Qatar is preparing a joint bid with Saudi Arabia and the UAE for the 2035 or 2039 Rugby World Cup.

Saudi Arabia made a solo bid and won the rights in December to host the 2034 Fifa World Cup.

The 2026 Fifa World Cup will be held in North America across 16 cities in the US, Canada and Mexico. Morocco will co-host the 2030 edition of the football World Cup with Spain and Portugal.

READ THE AUGUST 2025 MEED BUSINESS REVIEW – click here to view PDF

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Distributed to senior decision-makers in the region and around the world, the August 2025 edition of MEED Business Review includes:

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Indrajit Sen

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