Millions of fans who attended the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023™ were able to make use of a robust transport infrastructure to reach various venues and key sites throughout the tournament. These included the Doha metro and shuttle bus services that allowed fans to truly experience the one-of-a-kind compact nature of this tournament.
Five out of the nine stadiums used for the tournament offered direct access by metro, while the rest were connected by a free shuttle service from the nearest metro station. To make travel even more convenient, the Local Organising Committee (LOC), in collaboration with the Ministry of Transport, offered a free Doha Metro day pass to ticket holders on match days.
The Doha Metro played a key role in providing exceptional services to the tens of thousands of fans making their way to stadiums. More than 6.22 million passengers utilised the metro services throughout the tournament. A fleet of 110 trains completed a total of 83,358 train trips over the 30 days. Additionally, a total of 3,354 buses were used to shuttle 212,407 fans from stations to the stadiums as well as for the park and ride options. The fleet of buses also featured 300 electric buses in line with the LOC’s sustainability strategy.
The entire user journey offered wheelchair-accessible travel to disabled passengers as part of the LOC’s commitment towards making the AFC Asian Cup 2023™ an accessible tournament for everyone.
Upon arrival at the stadiums, fans were greeted by more than 3,000 staff who were deployed to assist last mile operations. Wheelchairs and 25 golf carts were available at every stadium to support fans with accessibility needs.
Plans were also put in place to support fans commuting by car. A total of 172,656 parking spots were available across venues with dedicated staff providing assistance on the ground. Specialised zones were also made available at all stadiums for Karwa taxis and ride sharing apps. A total of 9,916 trips were made by taxis and 83,432 trips were made by various ride-sharing apps.
In addition to spectators, dedicated transport services were also provided to each of the 24 participating national teams to ensure quick and comfortable commute between base camps, training grounds and competition venues. Additionally, as part of the LOC’s youth programme, children participating as player escorts, flag bearers and ball crew members were safely transported to stadiums on match days.
For Ahmed Al Binali, Mobility & Logistics Deputy Executive Director, transport operations were critical to the tournament’s success:
“Fans were the beating heart of this tournament. We wanted to make sure that fans can reach stadiums with ease. Our modern infrastructure allowed us to deliver an accessible journey for fans, participating teams and all stakeholders involved in the tournament.”
Qatar hosted the AFC Asian Cup™ for a record third time after successfully hosting it in 1988 and 2011. Twenty-four of the continent’s best teams competed for the continent’s most prestigious football title. A total of 51 matches were played across nine stadiums from 12 January to 10 February 2024.
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Source and cover image: Press Release
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