Qatar bids to host 2036 Olympic Games
Asia
By
AFP
| Jul 22, 2025
Doha is bidding host the 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games, authorities said on Tuesday, as the wealthy Gulf state sets its sights on yet another major sport event to diversify its energy-reliant economy.
One of the smallest and wealthiest states in the Gulf, Qatar had already hosted the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Should it be chosen, Qatar would become the first country in the Middle East and North Africa to host the Olympic Games, said Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani.
"The official bid submitted by the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) to host the 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games represents a new milestone in Qatar's journey," he said in a statement shared on the official Qatar News Agency.
"The bid builds on Qatar's proven track record of successfully hosting major international sporting events, most notably the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022," Sheikh Mohammed added.
READ MORE
New Sh2.6b Kwale fish port lies idle as KPA hunts for operator
How Kenya's seafaring dreams are sunk by training shortfalls
Satellite towns post slow growth as homeowners are priced out
Ruto: KPC set for September listing at bourse in State firms sale plan
Safaricom hits 50 million customers
Data privacy: Is your phone listening to you?
Nairobi mall bets on green design and tech to woo shoppers
Moody's sees risks to Kenya's economic recovery
Safaricom hits 50 million customer milestone
Key organisational health building blocks for family business success
Amnesty International and other rights groups claimed thousands of migrant workers died in the lead-up to the 2022 tournament, though Doha has said only 37 workers on World Cup projects perished -- and only three in work-related accidents.
President of the Qatar Olympic Committee Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani said Doha had "made sport a central pillar of our national strategy".
"We currently have 95 percent of the required sports infrastructure in place to host the Games, and we have a comprehensive national plan to ensure 100 percent readiness of all facilities," he said.
Countries are no longer required to make their Olympic bids public.
The Games are meant to rotate continents every season. With the 2024, 2028, and 2032 editions set for Europe, North America, and Oceania, there are high chances the 2036 Olympic Games will be held in Asia -- or in Africa, which would be a first.
Choosing the next host of the games will be the first major project for the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) new President Kirsty Coventry, who last month became the first woman to lead the body.