Qatar Airways unveils new routes to Venezuela and Colombia

 

Qatar Airways has announced two unique routes set to open up South American travel destinations. 

The Middle East airline it top operate flights to Caracas, Venezuela, and Bogotá, Colombia, from July. 

Inaugural flights will run on July 22, meaning Qatar Airways will serve over 160 global destinations this northern summer. 

Qatar Airways becomes the first Gulf carrier to serve Venezuela, and the first airline to operate flights from the Middle East to Caracas and Bogotá. 

Flights will depart every Wednesday and Sunday. 

The addition of Caracas and Bogotá marks the 15th and 16th destinations in the Americas served by Qatar Airways. 

The airline began serving South America in 2010 with its inaugural flight to Sao Paolo in Brazil.

Qatar will also operate four weekly flights between Doha
and Helsinki from July 15, increasing to daily from August 10.

The carrier will also return to Tokyo’s Haneda Airport from July 15.

Fast train to link Riyadh and Doha

The Middle East, already home to several of the world's top airlines, is now moving into the fast train sector. 

Saudi Arabia and Qatar are moving ahead with an ambitious plan that will slash travel time between their capitals to about two hours, a statement carried by official Saudi media and reported by Travel Mole reveals. 

The project, billed as a major step toward deeper regional cooperation and sustainable development, will create a new 785-kilometre rail corridor linking Riyadh and Doha, passing through major Saudi cities including Al-Hofuf and Dammam.

Along the line, trains would also connect Doha's Hamad International Airport with the planned King Salman International Airport, forming what officials describes “a new backbone for fast, low-carbon mobility across the Gulf“.

Designed for trains to exceed speeds of 300kmh, the service will offer a competitive alternative to air travel. Flights between Riyadh and Doha take roughly 90 minutes. The journey takes over six hours by road. 

Once operational, the rail line is expected to handle more than 10 million passengers annually, bolstering business and leisure travel and giving riders easy access to major attractions in both countries. 

Officials say the project will generate more than 30,000 direct and indirect jobs. 

The line will be built over six years to international safety and quality standards, using advanced rail and smart-engineering technologies aimed at cutting emissions and supporting the region’s transition toward cleaner transport.

The agreement was signed in Riyadh by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. 

Qatar wants to spy on World Cup visitors

With the World cup finals in Qatar just a month away, Qatar’s government is causing concern to visitors with newly imposed demands on fans travelling to the tournament.

 The Qatari government requires all foreign visitors to download a pair of apps that provide officials with rights to access data on their phones - apps that could be considered as spyware.

Ehteraz is a Covid-19 tracking app that can manipulate content on a user’s phone. It can also override installed software and disable a phone’s lock screen.

Hayya, which tracks match info and access to the public transport system in Qatar, has permission to share information on a user’s phone.

Øyvind Vasaasen, the head of security at Norsk Rikskringkasting AS (NRK), the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, warned against uploading the apps.

“It’s not my job to give travel advice, but personally, I would never bring my mobile phone on a visit to Qatar,” Vasaasen told the NHK website.

“When you download these two apps, you accept the terms stated in the contract, and those terms are very generous. You essentially hand over all the information in your phone. 

"You give the people who control the apps the ability to read and change things, and tweak it. They also get the opportunity to retrieve information from other apps if they have the capacity to do so, and we believe they do.”

NRK has submitted its findings about the security loopholes to FIFA but the organisers, not keen on rocking the boat, reportedly say they do not wish to comment on the matter.

Qatar has previously come under fire for human rights violations and the treatment of migrant labourers employed to build stadiums for the tournament. 

  

The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy is flat out

With just over a month until the Bugger Human Rights World Cup kicks off in Qatar, the quaintly named Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy is in full cry.

It reported ticket sales for the 2022 tournament are approaching 3 million as the countdown continues to the World Cup tournament, which will kick off at Al Bayt Stadium on November 20.

During a press conference in Doha this week, organisers announced a further 30,000 rooms had been made available to World Cup visitors - something they might have thought about when they planned for the event.

Qatar will stage 64 matches at eight "state-of-the-art" stadiums during the event.

Accommodation is apparently available from the Qatar Accommodation Agency and rooms can be booked from $80 per person, per night based on two-person occupancy.

Accommodation options include hotels, apartments, cruise ships and fan villages.

"We have always said that Qatar will deliver the best ever edition of the FIFA World Cup," said the impossibly positive FIFA president Gianni Infantino.

"And as you look around the country today, at the state-of-the-art stadiums, the training pitches, the metro, the wider infrastructure, everything is ready and everyone is welcome."

Except maybe members of the LBGTQI+ community and the many slaves (sorry, guest workers), who died during stadium construction.

"The world [meaning FIFA and its many sponsors] is excited. Qatar is ready. The stage is set. Together, we will deliver the best World Cup ever on and off the field."

So the man is a fortune teller.

Eng. Yasir Al Jamal, director general for that Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, said: "After more than a decade of hard work and close collaboration with stakeholders across the country, Qatar stands ready to host a memorable edition of the FIFA World Cup. 

"The compact nature of our tournament means visitors will never be far from the action - always close to a stadium or entertainment activation. We look forward to hosting a tournament that will live long in the memory for fans from across the globe."

Further information about Qatar's additional cultural and entertainment fan destinations can be found at www.qatar2022.qa/en/live-it-all-in-qatar.

How to combine a cruise experience with the World Cup

Heading for the World Cup in Qatar, but struggling to find accommodation?

How about combining a cruise experience with the football?

MSC Cruises has announced that MSC Opera will become a cruise ship hotel in Doha, working in cooperation with Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy.

The ship will be berthed ready to welcome visitors in the port from November 19 through to December 19, joining MSC World Europa and MSC Poesia during this period.

This new accommodation opportunity for football fans and visitors to Doha can be booked for a minimum of two nights through MSC Cruises Australia here or by calling the MSC Cruises Contact Centre on 1300 028 502.

MSC Opera is described as offering "elegant comfort and unique hospitality with a variety of lounges and entertainment venues".

It also has a range of restaurants, a spa, gym, swimming pools and whirlpools located throughout the ship’s nine decks.

For more information visit msccruises.com.au

# I have cruised with MSC and found it a pleasurable experience.

Own goal as Beckham accepts Qatari cash

David Beckham was a pretty decent footballer.

But post-football the former England international has become something of a publicity-seeking show pony.

His latest money-making stunt hits new lows.

Ahead of the World Cup in Qatar - a country slammed for its human rights abuses - Beckham is shamelessly spruiking the Middle East destination as a great place for a holiday.

Perhaps the reason he is so keen on Qatar is the fact that he signed a reported £150 million 10-year deal to become a tourism ambassador. That's an eye-watering $255 million in Aussie dollars.

Amnesty International says: "In the decade since Qatar was awarded the right to host the World Cup, exploitation and abuse of migrant workers has been rampant, with workers exposed to forced labour, unpaid wages and excessive working hours."

Human Rights Watch and the International Trade Union Confederation allege that the Kafala system leaves all migrant workers vulnerable to systematic abuse.

And, of course, homosexuality is illegal in Qatar and Amnesty says women and LGBTQ+ people "continue to face discrimination in law and practice".

But none of that worries David.

"From exploring the winding spice markets of Souq Waqif, soaking up local street art, cooking tacos [tacos?], camping in the desert, and sightseeing around Doha by motorbike, Beckham accompanies local personalities to discover a country of countless surprises," says Qatar's PR spiel.

Apparently, over 80% of the world’s population live within a six-hour flight from Qatar and Qatar Tourism is seeking to raise awareness of "the world’s best value stopover packages" through Qatar Airways.

The chairman of Qatar Tourism and Qatar Airways Group chief executive Akbar Al Baker, said: “It has been a pleasure to welcome David to Qatar, where he has immersed himself in the culture and experienced first-hand the warm hospitality of the people".

A pity that stadium workers were not given such a great welcome. The Guardian reported that
6,500 migrant workers have died in Qatar since it was awarded World Cup hosting rights. 

Shameless Beckham says: “Qatar has surprised me with a wide range of great experiences you can have in just 48 hours. The people are warm and welcoming, and it is a great place to spend a few days.”

I think I'll pass.