Manama: A Qatari girl who was born when Qatar was selected to stage the 2022 World Cup was named Fifa, after the world football governing body that chose the country for the quadrennial tournament.
"My husband Nayef Al Shimmari and I decided six months ago to name our daughter Dana," the delighted mother told a Qatari daily.
"But last Thursday and when I was in labour I heard that Qatar was picked ahead of many other countries to host the World Cup finals, so my husband and I decided to name her Fifa. We saw that Qataris were truly overjoyed with the historic award and we wanted to contribute to the celebrations in our own way," the mother said.
The couple has a two-year-old son, Saqr, the Al Raya daily reported.
Fifa will be 12 when Qatar becomes the first Arab, Muslim and Middle Eastern country to host the world's most viewed sporting event.
Free calls
Meanwhile, Qatar Tele-com (Qtel) has offered a bundle of 2,022 free local call minutes to its customers, as part of the nationwide celebrations of Qatar's selection to host World Cup Football in 2022.
Qatar last week was picked ahead of four other countries, including the US, to stage the world's most popular championship, an unprecedented distinction in the Middle East.
Customers using the Hala package who top up with 50 Qatari riyals (Dh50.42) or more between December 7 and 12 will get 2,022 free local minutes to talk with friends, colleagues and family on other Qtel lines for free, the company said.
Customers using the Shahry Value Packs, which offer bundles of call minutes, SMS, MMS and data downloads, are also given 2,022 extra call minutes.
Manama Qatar is planning to review its foreign worker recruitment policy to adapt to new requirements resulting from its successful bid to host the 2022 World Cup finals, a local daily reported yesterday.
A huge demand for foreign workers, mainly labourers in the construction sector, is expected as Qatar gets ready for the global event, Al Sharq newspaper said.
The Labour Ministry has contacted companies in the public sector for their recruitment plans and other programmes in the next five years. The move aims to help the ministry assess the country's overall needs ahead of the World Cup.
Doha had pledged to build new football stadiums, including an air-conditioned island stadium with a capacity of 86,000 spectators, and renovate existing ones as part of its 2022 World Cup bid.
