Air conditioned stadia for the 2022 Qatar World Cup

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Air conditioned stadia for the 2022 Qatar World Cup Written by Airway Group Team

While the furore of the Brazil World Cup is dying down and football fans are looking forward to the new domestic season, there is a shadow looming over the future of the event. Russia is set to host the prestigious event in 2018 – a controversial decision given their political turmoil – but the decision to award the 2022 World Cup to Qatar is also causing most people to scratch their heads.

Qatar could be the first Middle Eastern country to host the event but there is one oversight which most people think should prevent them from being hosts in 8 years’ time. That factor is the scorching temperatures predicted for the event – with June temperatures averaging around 50°C. Clearly, a high-tempo sporting event of this nature is almost humanly impossible in such sweltering conditions.

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Despite this seemingly obvious point, the honour was awarded to Qatar due to their incredible claim: they believe they can overcome the problem of the heat with fully air conditioned stadia. This was a key feature in their bid and is supposedly the reason they clinched the votes from FIFA officials.

According to Qatari official Yasir Al Jamal they are building around 10 stadiums which will utilise solar thermal collectors and photovoltaic panels to cool the seating areas for fans with targeted, cool air. Another suggestion is that the stadiums could feature closing roofs to keep the stadium in the shade during the game.

But these claims have been refuted by some experts who say it’s just not feasible to keep a stadium cool enough throughout the tournament in order to ensure the safety of fans and players. The enormity of the task isn’t helped by controversial news of the poor conditions in which migrant workers are constructing the stadiums, all of which is making World Cup fans and international politicians worried.

Suggestions that the tournament could be played in the less lethal conditions of a Qatari winter have been played down due to domestic commitments for most players, and so it seems that Qatar could top Russia as a controversial host nation just 4 years after the 2018 World Cup. With allegations of bribery within FIFA however, there is still hope for many fans that the honour of playing host to the competition will be awarded to someone else.

Air conditioning works fantastically well by cooling water and then blowing the cool air from this reaction into an enclosed space. Whether the designs and engineering behind the Qatari stadiums can overcome the problems of the heat and the size of the space remains to be seen.

Here at Airway Air Conditioning we are leading experts in the installation, maintenance and repair of air conditioning units. We can ensure you get the right unit for your space whether it’s for your home or your business – so while it might feel like a Qatari summer outside, you can stay cool and refreshed inside.