WORLD CUP: Qatar spending Sh50b a week on projects

The Khalifa Stadium in Doha which is undergoing complete renovation in preparation to host some of the matches for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. High-spending World Cup 2022 host Qatar is splurging almost $500 million every week on major infrastructure projects for football's biggest tournament, the country finance minister said on February 7, 2017. / AFP PHOTO /

Qatar expects two-thirds of the contracts for the 2022 projects to be delivered within 24 months.

Qatar is spending almost Sh50 billion a week on major projects as it prepares for the 2022 Fifa World Cup, its finance minister has said. Ali al-Emadi expected spending to continue at that level for three to four years as new stadiums, motorways, rail links and hospitals are built. More than $200 billion (£160bn) will be spent by the gas-rich emirate.

But Mr Emadi denied the plans would make the 2022 tournament the most expensive World Cup yet. The 2014 World Cup in Brazil is reported to have cost $11 billion (£8.8bn) to host, while Russia increased government spending on the 2018 World Cup by $321 million to $10.7 billion.

Brazil struggled to get its stadiums ready, but Mr Emadi told reporters in Doha on Tuesday that Qatar had already awarded 90 per cent of the contracts for 2022 projects and that two-thirds would be delivered in the next 24 months.