Qatar has officially entered the contest to host the 2036 Olympic and Paralympic Games, signalling its ambition to bring the world’s biggest sporting event to the Middle East for the first time. The Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) confirmed the move via its website, positioning itself among a growing list of contenders that include India, Chile, Türkiye, and Indonesia. Other nations reportedly exploring potential bids are Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Egypt, Hungary, Italy, Germany, Denmark and Canada.
Qatar, which has already showcased their capacity to organise major global events by hosting the FIFA World Cup in 2022 and the AFC Asian Cup in 2024, is now banking on that experience to strengthen its Olympic credentials. Doha, the capital city, is also set to host the Asian Games in 2030, having previously done so in 2006.
Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, president of the QOC, emphasised that Qatar’s approach is based on a long-term development strategy. “We have a national plan to ensure complete readiness of all facilities,” he told the state-run Qatar News Agency. “This plan is anchored in a broader vision aimed at delivering a socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable legacy.”
Should Qatar win the bid, it would mark a historic moment as the first country in the Middle East to host the Olympic Games, aligning with the region’s broader ambition to become a central hub for international sport. Notably, Saudi Arabia is set to host the FIFA World Cup in 2034, underlining the Gulf’s increasing prominence on the global sporting calendar.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has signaled its openness to bids from non-traditional regions, particularly from the Global South. At a press conference held on June 27, IOC President Kirsty Coventry addressed concerns raised by RevSportz about the longstanding underrepresentation of the Global South in Olympic host selections.
“When you look at the history, yes, the Global South in terms of host cities is not really represented at all,” Coventry admitted. “But my job, especially as the IOC president, is to ensure that the policies are in place to allow for anyone and everyone to have the ability to host the Games. And that is what this process is about.”
Coventry highlighted the IOC’s revamped selection framework, which now emphasises “targeted dialogue” with interested nations. This mechanism is designed not only to broaden geographic inclusivity but also to offer a deeper understanding of the requirements involved in hosting the Games.
With this new approach and Qatar’s track record of hosting large-scale international events, the Gulf nation’s bid for the 2036 Olympics emerges as both timely and strategically positioned in a changing global sports landscape.
For all sports updates, follow RevSportz