Qatar Studies Ukrainian Experience of Football Championship Preparation

Kyiv, May 10, 2012. “Your professionals gained valuable experience [while organizing EURO 2012] and have a potential to participate in projects of Qatar preparation for 2022 FIFA World Cup,” stated Emir of Qatar Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani while hosting the Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov in his official visit to Qatar. Sheikh Hamad plans to visit Ukraine during EURO 2012 in order to personally examine the stadiums and invite Ukrainian companies for cooperation over 2022 projects in Qatar.

The Middle Eastern state of Qatar is getting ready to host world football cup in 2022. The country plans to prepare 12 stadiums. Two of the stadiums (in Doha and Lusail) have already been built, and the rest will be constructed in the upcoming years.

Ukraine prepared four stadiums for the European Football Championship – the National Sports Complex Olimpiyskyi in Kyiv (will host EURO 2012 final), Donbass Arena in Donetsk, Arena Lviv in Lviv, and Metalist Stadium (nicknamed Spider) in Kharkiv. Stadium in Lviv was built specially for the championship, while Donbass Arena is a privately-owned stadium constructed for commercial purposes. Two of the remaining stadiums were renovated with the express purpose to suit the requirements of UEFA.

For the purposes of the championship the major sports arena in the capital of Ukraine experienced grand overhaul from 2008 to 2011. Now Olimpiyskyi is the second largest stadium in Eastern Europe capable of hosting up to 70,050 fans.

The renewed stadium is equipped with the most recent technological advancements, including transparent ultra-light membrane roof with teflon coating, two largest in Ukraine LED screens, and fire-resistant seats. All materials used to reconstruct Olimpiyskyi were certified in Ukraine and Europe as safe and harmless.

In April of 2012 Bleacher Report named Olimpiyskyi top EURO 2012 venue.

Ukraine and Qatar established diplomatic relations in 1993. Previously, most top-level bilateral meetings concerned issues of economic cooperation and trade between the two partners. Ukraine exports agricultural products and steel to Qatar. In 2011, the trade turnover between the two countries exceeded USD 40 million, with nearly USD 25 million worth share of export from Ukraine to Qatar.