Well, that’s the prediction. This incredible figure - Qatar’s current population is below a million, although it is expected to hit seven figures this year - was mentioned as an aside in a recent AFP interview with Hassan bin Ali, the chairman of the Doha 2016 Olympics bid.
As Qatar’s current native Qatari population is somewhere around 20% of this, presumably the vast majority of this increase in population will come from abroad.
Qatar Visitor has also recently learned for the first time that there are plans to improve the public transport system with railways.
Both underground and above ground railway systems are planned as part of the Lusail project, and the Doha bid details plans to build a metro/lrt railway, with additional tramlines and a feeder bus network, which will connect all the major Olympic sites. Construction of the first phase of the railway is due to begin next year.
There is also an incredible planned increase in the number of hotel rooms in Doha. Currently there are around 18,000 hotel rooms in Doha, well below the minimum 60,000 required for an Olympic bid. However, by 2016 Doha expects to have 83,000 hotel rooms available.
For more information on Doha's bid for the 2016 Qatar Olympics, visit the latest page on our website, Qatar Olympics.
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