KARACHI: Pakistanis leaving for Qatar for the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2022 may not need to worry about accommodation, as that country has arranged three gigantic cruise ships — comprising 26 floors and having 1,000 rooms each — for visitors from around the world in case hotels run out of rooms.

In a meeting with members of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) on Friday, Qatar’s Consul General Mishal Mohammad Ali Al-Ansari said two of these ships had already arrived in Qatar.

He informed KCCI members that all matches would take place in eight outstanding stadiums and Qatar was expecting more than three million spectators.

On trade, he said Qatar was Pakis­tan’s thirteenth biggest trade partner, with volume reaching over $2.73 billion last year. The two countries had well-established relations “based on shared religion, culture, abilities and geographical proximity”, he added.

Published in Dawn, November 19th, 2022