Qatar 2022: World Cup fans acclimatize to desert accommodation — in tents and

Doha, Qatar
CNN
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As fans trickle into Qatar, they’re understandably in holiday mode as they look forward to the prospect of a desert World Cup.

But where best to stay in a country that is geographically on a peninsula smaller than Connecticut and is the smallest World Cup host in history?

The scramble for accommodation is likely to hot up given Qatar is set to welcome an estimated 1.5 million fans over the month-long tournament, which begins on November 20.

Jimmy and Kennis Leung were among the very first fans to arrive at the Fan Village Cabins Free Zone, one of the largest sites available to supporters, checking in on Thursday.

“They’ve built this in a desert,” Jimmy told CNN Sport, as he scanned his accommodation space, which he was impressed by.

“It is too expensive to stay in a hotel or AirBnB in Doha so this was a great option.”

The Free Zone fan village is around 20 minutes by metro from downtown Doha but at the moment it’s a bit like entering a dystopian world.

There is precious little else around the village – one or two building sites and a main road – so staff quickly direct you to the reception, which is a 10-minute walk across a vast car park.

There is an endless lines of portacabins, organized into different colors and mapped in alphabetical order, stretching into the distance, with large gazebos containing hundreds of empty tables and chairs.

Basketball courts, outdoor gyms and a huge television screen are dotted around the complex where fans can play and relax.

When CNN visited on Friday, only a handful of fans were milling around, though many more were are expected over the course of the tournament.

Navigation is also proving a bit problematic – the Leungs admit to getting lost in the seemingly endless makeshift roads that connect the village. There are, though, electric scooters to get around and staff will even drive you to your door in a golf buggy.
The Leungs work in the media and have traveled from Hong Kong to watch their favorite team, the Netherlands, at Qatar 2022.

“It’s very quiet at the moment but there are food options and the rooms are nice, but a bit small,” Kennis adds.

As fans like the Leungs grapple with finding their feet in Qatar on Friday, they were greeted by the news that soccer’s world governing body FIFA had performed a U-turn and that no alcohol will be sold at the eight stadiums which will host the tournament’s 64 matches.

For those supporters on a budget and are unable to afford what’s on offer from hotels, eight fan villages provide “casual camping and cabin-style” options.

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