Constructing A World Cup
Tamim El Abed, Qatar
My name is Tamim El Abed and other than my four years of study abroad, I have lived in Qatar virtually my entire life. My family moved here from Palestine in the 1950s. I work with the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy as the Project Manager for the Lusail Stadium managing the construction, testing, commissioning and handover of the stadium. I have worked in construction for 20 years and on the Lusail Stadium for 7 years.
The first match I ever attended at a stadium was at Khalifa Stadium (in the old days before it even had seats and we would sit directly on the concrete terraces). It was between Iran and Saudi Arabia in the AFC Asian Cup in 1988. I have been a Liverpool FC follower since the age of 9 when names such as Rush, Barnes, Beardsley, Grobelaar, McMahon and Houghton dazzled the world. We began playing football as children, as young as 7 years old. A bouncy sphere has almost endless possibilities for fun. Add to it the challenge of putting that ball into one of two netted gates, the goals, and you have the perfect mixture for very high excitement.
Who is in the photos? Where were the photos taken?
The Lusail Stadium. Having been on this site since it was a piece of flat ground, it became a pleasant feeling to begin seeing the stadium as a permanent presence whenever I walked out of the office. A stadium as it becomes a stadium. To begin seeing words like ‘Pitch’ on our site signage makes what we are building more real. When people visit a spectacular building, the effort it took by thousands of men to construct it is not something that is at the forefront of people’s thinking. These photos are a reminder of the thousands who worked in adverse conditions with massive structures to finish this project.
Project your mind forward to 2022, when these seating terraces are full of happy supporters from the four corners of the world, massive waving banners and camera lights are flashing like stars. Imagine you are a player representing your country in the opening game or the Final of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. You can see view you would see from the players’ tunnel as you enter in front of tens of thousands of your supporters.
What did you try to show with the photos? Was there any wider meaning with the photos?
I wanted to provide a snapshot of my immediate environment and my relationship to the beautiful facilities, carnival atmosphere, bright lights and immaculate green turf that will be seen by people in the stadium and on televisions around the world during the tournament.
What is your favourite photo? Why?
My colleague the security guard, Samuel. It is a reminder of the roles played behind the scenes by thousands to hopefully ensure that an amazing tournament is delivered in 2022.
What role does football play in Qatari society?
Football is, in my personal experience, by far the most popular sport in the country. There is massive interest in the European leagues and though the stadium attendances don’t always reflect it, there are fierce rivalries between the supporters of the local clubs. Football is important for physical activity and social relations, especially between children.
What changes are happening in Qatari football culture?
The Qatari victory in the Asian Cup was the outcome of the changes brought about by the previous and current generations and the promotion of homegrown talent.
What is the most surprising or interesting part of Qatari football culture?
The deep rivalries between the supporters of the local clubs carry a rich culture of banter and jokes (unfortunately not all translatable).
What does football mean to you?
As a sport, football has the best balance between a physical challenge and the ability to make art. It can be open and fast-moving but not so much that a goal loses its preciousness. Few events in sport have the ability to drive millions of people into hysteria like a ball hitting the back of a net.
What will be the biggest impact of the World Cup in 2022?
Qatar, despite its size, will finally open its doors to the world on the scale it has always aimed for. Also, as a construction industry professional, I hope the improvement of the Health and Safety and Worker Welfare practices that the Supreme Committee has brought into the industry will be here permanently. The future is bigger and brighter.
