Qatar World Cup: Dubai-Doha airfares surge to Dh6,000

Dubai: Flights from Dubai to Doha in November are getting pricier by the minute, with Qatar hosting the latest edition of the FIFA World Cup. A Dubai to Doha flight on November 20 – the day before the event is expected to begin – is seen costing as much as Dh6,000. Currently, flights between the two Gulf destinations cost only Dh600-Dh700.

Flights from Muscat are seen going as high as Dh3,000, while from Riyadh, ticket rates fall within the range of Dh1,000-Dh3,500. “Gulf airlines may be trying to maximise their revenues by operating these connecting routes to Doha,” said Suraj Ramesh from Al Badie Travel Agency. “This is not driven by demand as certain important details such as match fixtures are not out yet.”

The World Cup, which will take place between November 21 and December 18, is expected to attract around 1.2 million visitors, and this will benefit the UAE’s hospitality industry as well. Dubai-based Emirates and Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways will be flying football fans from Europe and South America to Doha.

Qatar Airways, the country’s flagship carrier, will get the biggest boost from the two-month event. The airline, which grew its market share in the long-haul market during the pandemic, has hired new staff, expanded its network, and maintained key routes.

Dubai International Airport has remained the world’s biggest international aviation hub, with flights from Dubai to four cities among the top 10 routes in January. Dubai-Riyadh remains the busiest with a seat capacity of 289,396 seats, while Dubai-London Heathrow had 247,145 seats. The other two high-capacity flights from Dubai are to Jeddah and Bahrain. The numbers from the aviation consultancy OAG clearly show that UAE airlines have maintained optimum flight schedules despite having to deal with the Omicron variant.

Qatar World Cup ticket sales were launched at reduced prices last month with residents and migrant workers able to attend games for just $11. Authorities have not yet announced how many fans will be allowed into stadiums for the first World Cup in an Arab country.

FIFA opened a draw, which offers individual match tickets for as low as $69 for international fans — about a third less than at Russia 2018. But a ticket for the final could cost up to $1,607. Qatari residents will be able to get tickets for $11.

UAE-based Regal Tours said it had not started offering World Cup packages yet. “Qatari authorities have not yet started issuing tourist visas for those flying from UAE – only on-arrival visas are available,” said a spokesperson.