Doha bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics
| Overview | |
|---|---|
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Games of the XXXI Olympiad XV Paralympic Games |
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Rio de Janeiro Madrid · Tokyo · Chicago |
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| Details | |
| City | Doha, Qatar |
| NOC | Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) |
| Evaluation | |
| IOC score | 6.9 |
| Previous Games hosted | |
| None | |
| Decision | |
| Result | Not shortlisted. |
Doha, the capital city of Qatar, bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics. It was one of two cities in the Arab World, along with Cairo, Egypt to mount a serious bid.
Doha's bid was eliminated from consideration when it failed to make the Candidate city shortlist on June 4, 2008.
Had Doha been chosen to host the games, they were to be held between October 14 and October 30. The Paralympics were to be held between November 9 and November 21.
Hassan Ali Bin Ali was named the Chairman of the Doha 2016 Olympic Bid Committee. The bid was officially announced October 25, 2007 at a festival on the Doha corniche. It was only the second serious bid from the Arab World (after Cairo's bid for the 2008 games), and pundits speculated that Doha's chances of being shortlisted were improved for that reason. More than 1,000 banners and billboards featuring children (future athletes) promoted the bid in Doha, and Doha organized a Youth Ambassador Program designed to reach out with youthful hope and understanding. Qataris aimed to highlight the future of the country's youth by engaging and inspiring them to better understand the wider world, and for the youth of the rest of the world to gain a true picture of Arab culture and hospitality. US$48 million was budgeted to secure the games. ($44 million from the government)
The centerpiece of the bid was the expansion of the Aspire Zone sports center, which also houses many other facilities. The Aspire Zone hosted the 2006 Asian Games. Doha is also planning a new paralympic stadium, although it is uncertain if it will still be constructed since the end of the bid. The Qatar government committed to full financial guarantees that will cover any cost overruns. With sport as a raison d'etre, Qatar has invested in multimillion-dollar projects to upgrade Doha's infrastructure to premium international standards.
The bid had support from the Gulf Cooperation Council, solidifying regional support from the neighboring states of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Bid leader Bin Ali stated, "Our aim is to build support for the bid which will be a bid that the whole Arab world can be proud of." 86% of people in Doha City and region support the Olympic bid and 95% of residents were aware of the bid, matching most of the other bid cities.
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