Qatar to donate World Cup buses to Lebanon
Doha had bought around 3,000 vehicles to transport fans
Dubai: Qatar will donate buses used to transport fans during the World Cup to Lebanon to support the country’s transport sector, Lebanese media reported.
According to sources, Prime Minister Najib Mikati discussed the issue with Qatari officials on the sidelines of the World Cup.The idea was inspired by Doha’s desire to donate some World Cup-related infrastructure to developing countries.
The donations will include whole football stadiums, thousands of stadium seats and buses. Qatar had purchased around 3,000 buses, in addition to the 1,000 buses it already has, which were used to transport fans for free during the event.
According to some sources, the Qataris offered to provide seats suitable for the sports city in Beirut and some municipal stadiums. However, the Lebanese side raised the possibility of supplying Lebanon with several buses.
Al Akhbar newspaper learned that Mikati discussed this with Qatar Foreign Minister Mohammad Bin Abdul Rahman Bin Jasem Al Thani, who manages the external investment fund for Qatar, in addition to political relations with some countries, including Lebanon.
Although the laws allow for such a step, the matter may need to be settled with private companies that own the red plates used by workers in the private transport sector.
After announcing its hosting of the 2022 World Cup, Qatar prepared a unique programme to transform the transportation sector into an integrated network. It included a group of projects, including the Doha Metro, the largest mass transit project in cities in the Middle East. It stretches for 75km and includes 37 stations, three lines (red, gold, and green), approximately 18,000 taxis, and over 3,000 electric bicycles.