Doha: The Qatar Railways Company (Qatar Rail) has seized the opportunity of FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021, which is considered as a model for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 , to build the expertise and the know-how of its Qatari talents.
Qatari staff were assigned in the stations under the silver command team which is responsible for following up on the movement of fans at the stations. In this regard, Eng. Khaled Al Sulaiti, from the Operation and Maintenance Section at Qatar Rail, said: “During this tournament, the Doha Metro working hours were extended, and this requires a number of key operational preparations, an increase in the number of the staff at the stations, and deployment of the silver commander team who is responsible for facilitating fans flow at the stations, looking after security and safety and provide guidance to public at the stations.
“These challenges help us in gaining experience and have a better understand of nature of metro operations during the upcoming FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.”
Eng Omar Al Kuwari from the Operation and Maintenance Section also said: “It is an important experience for us, not only on a professional level, but on a personal level as well. We are proud to have an active role in these tournaments and supporting the State of Qatar efforts in hosting international sports tournaments and events.
Qatar Rail has released a guide to the stadiums, which is a digital guide that provides information on how to reach the stadiums by metro. Abdulaziz Al Heidous from Qatar Rail Service Delivery Department shared his experience on this by saying: “Technology solutions are the easiest way to educate our customers where they can easily get the information they need. Users can get a network map, stadiums’ locations, accompanying services (metrolink and metroExpress) and the (Park & Ride) facilities locations around metro stations.”.
Qatar Rail is also keen to maintain the highest standards of sustainability during major events. In this regard, Maryam Al Sayeri, Sustainability & Environmental Specialist commented: “Sustainability is a key component in the Doha Metro network. We carry out periodic reviews to ensure that our operations comply with the highest sustainability standards especially during major events such as the Arab Cup tournament, where the stations witness a high public turnout and the operational working hours are extended.”
In addition; several Qatar Rail’s employees were nominated in the ‘Tournament Transport Coordination Centre’ (TTCC) which brings together all transportation operators in the tournament. Sharing his experience at TTCC, Eng. Mohamed Al Shibani said: “The Doha Metro is part of the integrated transportation system for the Arab Cup, We ensure effective communication with our transport partners in this system to ensure the transport operations are smoothly running during the tournament.”
