Qatar Airways Celebrates a Successful End to the First-Ever FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021™

 19 December 2021

Qatar Airways congratulates Algeria on lifting the prestigious FIFA Arab Cup™ Trophy 

Fans were left with a poignant ‘au revoir’ with screens at the final displaying the airline’s key messages ‘The World’s Best Airline’ and ‘See You in Qatar 2022’

Fans can book their FIFA World Cup™ travel packages at qatarairways.com/fifa2022

Doha, Qatar – Qatar Airways celebrates the successful end of the pan-Arab showpiece football tournament – the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021™. As Official Airline Partner of the much-anticipated sporting event, the airline congratulates Algeria on their outstanding win in the first-ever FIFA Arab Cup™, and now looks ahead to the thrilling prospect of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “The FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021™ has set the precedent for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ next year and has assured our readiness to host the prestigious football tournament. As the national carrier of the State of Qatar, we look forward to welcoming fans from across the world on board our flights, where they can experience a truly unique and hospitable service.”

During the final, the stadium’s LED screens frequently displayed Qatar Airways’ forward-looking key message ‘See You in Qatar 2022’, encouraging fans to book their FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ travel packages at qatarairways.com/fifa2022, demonstrating the national carrier’s readiness for the mega-event.  In September 2021, Qatar Airways Holidays launched its fan travel packages, inclusive of match tickets, return flights and accommodation options, ensuring that football fans can guarantee their match tickets to support their favourite team in person during the FIFA World Cup™.

In a further celebration of its belief in the importance of sports as a means of bringing people together, Qatar Airways has also created a new photographic and written series from football fans from across the Arab region, who uniquely narrated their stories and experiences during the FIFA Arab Cup™. The participating storytellers included football fans from Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Oman, Palestine, and Qatar. Each participant tells their story through a mixture of analogue and digital photography, showcasing what football means to them and their communities, while supporting their national team. All stories can be found on the airline’s social media channels.

During the final, Qatar Airways collaborated with a creative Qatari illustrator to celebrate key moments of the match by drawing onto a football at Barahat Msheireb, the region's largest and most iconic covered public square. Filmed in time lapse, the story of the match can be seen unfolding gradually, while adding a touch of tradition and culture, written using the elegance of Arabic calligraphy.

Football fans who attended the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021™ were invited to play virtual football and enjoy a host of other action-packed games at Qatar Airways’ pavilion located at the Al Bayt Stadium’s Brand Activation Area. The airline welcomed spectators to step into the spotlight and create memories inside its FIFA Arab Cup™ inspired photo-booth, by capturing a selfie to share with friends. Qatar Airways Official Frequent Flyer programme also offered visitors the opportunity to earn 1,500 bonus Avios upon joining its Privilege Club at the event.

The exciting tournament offered football fans a glimpse into the spirit of Qatar, as well as the world-class stadiums set to host the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™. The state-of-the-art Al Bayt Stadium located in the northern city of Al Khor hosted the tournament’s inaugural and final matches. Built in the shape of a traditional Bedouin tent, the Stadium pays tribute to Qatari and Arab culture and symbolises Middle Eastern hospitality. Other stadiums that were played at include Al Thumama Stadium, Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, Stadium 974, Education City Stadium and Al Janoub Stadium.

Most recently, the airline sponsored the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup and the UEFA Euro 2020™, and has an extensive global sports partnership portfolio that includes football-governing bodies such as FIFA, CONCACAF and CONMEBOL. As FIFA’s Official Partner, Qatar Airways has sponsored mega-events including the 2019 and 2020 editions of the FIFA Club World Cup™, and will sponsor the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™. Qatar Airways also sponsors some of the world’s biggest football clubs including Al Sadd SC, Boca Juniors, FC Bayern München, K.A.S. Eupen, and Paris Saint-Germain.

The national carrier of the State of Qatar continues to rebuild its network, which currently stands at over 140 destinations. With more frequencies being added to key hubs, Qatar Airways offers unrivalled connectivity to passengers, making it easy for them to connect to a destination of their choice.

A multiple award-winning airline, Qatar Airways was announced as the ‘Airline of the Year’ by the international air transport rating organisation, Skytrax, in addition to securing five additional awards including World’s Best Business Class, World’s Best Business Class Airline Lounge, World’s Best Business Class Airline Seat, World’s Best Business Class Onboard Catering and Best Airline in the Middle East. The airline continues to stand alone at the top of the industry having won the main prize for an unprecedented sixth time (2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2021). The airline’s hub, Hamad International Airport (HIA), was also recently recognised as the ‘Best Airport in the World 2021’, ranking at number one in the Skytrax World Airport Awards 2021.

In addition to this, Qatar Airways is the first global airline in the world to achieve the prestigious 5-Star COVID-19 Airline Safety Rating by Skytrax. This follows the success of Hamad International Airport (HIA) as the first airport in the Middle East and Asia to be awarded a Skytrax 5-Star COVID-19 Airport Safety Rating. These awards provide assurance to passengers around the world that the airline’s health and safety measures are subject to the highest possible standards of professional, independent scrutiny and assessment. For full details of all the measures that have been implemented on board and at HIA, please visit qatarairways.com/safety.