No COVID-19 test for world cup fans
October 27, 2022, 7:37 am

The World Cup is the most prestigious association football tournament in the world, as well as the most widely viewed and followed single sporting event in the world - Photo. Pixabay

Qatar is to drop pre-arrival COVID-19 tests before the World Cup, the Health Ministry said on Wednesday (Oct 26), weeks after announcing that the million-plus incoming fans do not need vaccinations.

The latest relaxation will take effect on Nov. 1, 19 days before the first World Cup on Arab territory starts on Nov. 20.

The arriving fans, players, officials, staff and media are by far the biggest influx of visitors seen in gas-rich Qatar, which has a population of just 2.9 million.

“Visitors are no longer required to present a negative COVID-19 PCR or Rapid Antigen Test result before traveling to Qatar,” a statement said.

Qatari citizens and residents will also no longer need to take a PCR or rapid antigen test within 24 hours of returning from abroad, the ministry added.

The 29-day tournament will be the first major global sporting event with fans since the coronavirus pandemic erupted in December 2019, killing more than 6 million people.

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus - Photo. Shutterstock

The World Cup is the most prestigious association football tournament in the world, as well as the most widely viewed and followed single sporting event in the world.

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Due to Qatar's intense summer heat, this World Cup will be held from late-November to mid-December, making it the first tournament not to be held in May, June, or July and to take place in the northern autumn; it will be played in a reduced timeframe of around 29 days.

Last year’s delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympics took place largely behind closed doors, and the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics was held in a bio-secure bubble.

Qatari organizers and football’s governing body, FIFA, have said they want the event to be a sign the world is getting over the devastating pandemic.

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But the Health Ministry has previously warned that special measures would be ordered “in the event of a worsening pandemic situation in the country,” such as the emergence of a threatening new variant.

The 2022 FIFA World Cup, scheduled to take place in Qatar from 20 November to 18 December 2022, will be the first World Cup ever to be held in the Arab world, and the second World Cup held entirely in Asia after the 2002 tournament in South Korea and Japan.

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”