The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ is over. Now what? Well, according to Qatar Tourism, Qatar’s 2023 events calendar is action-packed.
Qatar Tourism revealed the 2023 calendar in December 2022 right after the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ came to an end, promising an equally eventful year, bringing more people from around the world to Qatar.
‘We have an action-packed calendar, we have about 300 days of events in 2023 — it’s a full calendar. We will host the Formula 1 again, the Geneva International Motor Show will not be happening in Geneva but here in Qatar, AFC Asian Cup because of all the stadiums we have, and Expo 2023 Doha, which will run for six months,’ said Qatar Tourism Chief Operating Officer Berthold Trenkel.
Expo 2023 Doha, Qatar
The biggest event set to take place in Qatar this year and the second largest event in Qatar after the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ is Expo 2023 Doha, Qatar, which will last for six months, taking place from
2 October 2023 to 28 March 2024 at Al Bidda Park. It is projected to draw over three million people, and participants from over 80 countries are expected to showcase their products, services and research.
Organised under the auspices of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE), World Expos, officially known as International Registered Exhibitions, are a global gathering of nations dedicated to finding solutions to pressing challenges of our time by offering a journey inside a universal theme through engaging and immersive activities. Typically taking place every five years and lasting for six months, World Expos welcome tens of millions of visitors, and allow countries to build extraordinary pavilions and transform the host city for years to come.
Like many events in the world, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the World Expos schedule. Expo 2020 was hosted by Dubai, UAE from 1 October 2021 to 31 March 2022. Originally scheduled for 20 October 2020 to 10 April 2021, it was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The next World Expo, Expo 2025, will take place in Osaka, Kansai, Japan between 13 April and 13 October 2025. dohaexpo2023.gov.qa
2023 AFC Asian Cup
The second largest event set to take place in Qatar this year is the 2023 AFC Asian Cup. Defending champions Qatar will host the AFC Asian Cup for the third time after staging the 1988 and 2011 editions. Just like the FIFA World CupTM, the tournament is held every four years. Qatar will be the first country to host the continental showpiece for a third time and all indications point to a fiesta of football when Asia’s best converges for the 18th edition of the AFC Asian Cup. Qatar will be looking to defend the AFC Asian Cup title they lifted spectacularly in the UAE in 2019. The 2023 AFC Asian Cup will take place in Qatar from 16 June to 16 July 2023, with 24 participating teams. the-afc.com/en/national/afc_asian_cup.html
Formula 1 Qatar Grand Prix 2023
The Formula One (F1) Qatar Grand Prix 2023 will run from 6 to 8 October at Lusail International Circuit. The popular 5.38 km racetrack will host one of the six F1 Sprint races planned for the 2023 season. Sprint races will take place in Azerbaijan (Baku City Circuit), Austria (Red Bull Ring), Belgium (Spa-Francorchamps), Qatar (Lusail), the United States (Circuit of The Americas) and Sao Paulo (Interlagos). Founded and first held in 1950, F1 is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile. f1experiences.com/2023-qatar-grand-prix, formula1.com/en/racing/2023/Qatar.html
Geneva International Motor Show Qatar
Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre (DECC) and other notable locations in the city will host the inaugural Geneva International Motor Show Qatar (GIMS 2023) from 5 to 14 October.
The event planned for Geneva in February 2023 will not take place. ‘Due to the uncertainties in the global economy and geopolitics, as well as the risks related to the development of the pandemic, the organisers have decided to focus exclusively on the planning of the event in Doha in 2023,’ said Maurice Turettini, President of the foundation Comité permanent du Salon international de l’automobile de Genève.
The event has been designed to become a cutting-edge, first-of-its-kind motor show, bringing together the biggest players of the global automotive industry into a truly immersive space. genevamotorshow.com/qatar-2023/
ITT Conference 2023
The Institute of Travel Tourism (ITT) Conference 2023 is the travel industry’s blue riband event, created for ITT members and attended by senior figures from across the UK’s travel and tourism industry. The Conference will include an ideal blend of conference sessions, social activities and networking opportunities.
Greeting hundreds of delegates from the travel and tourism industry of the UK, the ITT Conference is among the UK travel industry’s most important events, and it is exclusively for ITT members with attendance from higher-ranking industry people. The conference is organised in a different place every year to help members experience the secret personality and beauty of each location.
ITT 2023 will be held from 5 to 7 June at the world-class Waldorf Astoria Lusail, Doha, with all delegates being accommodated at this newly opened, pristine resort. ittconference.co.uk
Project Qatar 2023
Project Qatar will take place from 29 May to 2 June at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre (DECC). With almost a 20-year legacy of contributing to the development of the construction sector in Qatar, Project Qatar is one of the region’s most renowned and best-attended construction exhibitions, connecting Qatar and GCC’s top buyers with suppliers from around the world. The event attracts key influencers and industry leaders looking for the most up-to-date technology and equipment available on the market.
Organised by the leading event organiser in the Middle East, IFP Group, the exhibition meets all the top standards to be the ideal platform for growing business by providing fast market entry into the country’s lucrative construction market, and the opportunity to generate new business leads with companies of all sizes. projectqatar.com
Volleyball Beach Pro Tour Finals 2023
The first of three Beach Pro Tour Finals, Volleyball Beach Pro Tour Finals 2023, was held in Qatar from 26 to 29 January in Aspire Park. It was the final round of all beach volleyball tournaments, and the best eight teams in the world rankings participated.
It was the first of three Beach Pro Tour Finals held in Qatar after Volleyball World put pen to paper on a three-year agreement with the Qatar Volleyball Federation and Aspire Zone Foundation (AZF) who hosted the event at the stunning Aspire Park sports complex in the shadow of the impressive 300-m (980 ft) The Torch Doha.
Until 3 December 2022, every match counted as the world’s best beach volleyball teams will be fighting to secure one of the 10 coveted places up for grabs at the end-of-season spectacular. The top eight teams per gender based on the World Ranking after the Elite16 event in Australia guaranteed their spot at AZF – an illustrious location famous for hosting some of the world’s biggest sports teams.
An additional two teams received a wildcard entry to join the best eight to compete for the seasonal championship title. The winners of the finals were each crowned 2022 Beach Pro Tour champions and received USD150,000 of an overall USD800,000 prize pool. en.volleyballworld.com/beachvolleyball/competitions/beach-pro-tour-2022/news/all-roads-lead-to-doha-for-the-beach-pro-tour-finals
And more…
In addition to these upcoming international events, Qatar hosted several local and regional annual events such as the Marmi Festival, Qatar Balloon Festival, Qatar International Food Festival 2023, Doha Jewellery and Watches Exhibition (DJWE) 2023, Arabian Camel Festival on Sword of HH the Father Amir, and more.
For more events in 2023, see the Events Calendar in the section or visit marhaba.qa for up-to-date events.
What to look forward in 2024?
There is more to look foward to in 2024 in Qatar. The country will host several international events, exhibitions, festivals and more with a few that have already been announced.
Qatar is the chosen destination to host the AFC U23 Asian Cup 2024™ by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Competitions Committee. Qatar previously hosted the tournament in 2016. The event dates are 10 to 28 January 2024. the-afc.com
The 21st FINA World Championships Doha 2024, also known as the World Aquatics Championships, is expected to showcase the best of aquatic sports. The championship, set to take place from 2 to 18 February 2024 in Doha, will watch international athletes compete in swimming, diving, high diving, open water swimming, artistic swimming and water polo. worldaquatics.com/competitions/2969/21st-fina-world-championships-doha-2024
The FIA World Endurance Championship has signed a six-year contract for a new race in Qatar. The inaugural 6 Hours of Qatar is set to take place in 2024, with the championship due to race there until at least 2029. The new six-hour endurance is expected to form the 2024 FIA WEC season-opener at Lusail International Circuit. Qatar will be the 13th country that the championship has visited as the series continues its mission to promote endurance racing and the spirit of Le Mans to new regions and territories across the globe. Built in 2004, Lusail International Circuit is the only circuit in the region to have both FIA and FIM homologation licenses. It has been home to MotoGP for several years and hosted the first Formula 1 in 2021. fia.com
By Ola Diab
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