Hosting the World Cup proved to be a success for Qatar, and the Gulf nation is now determined to host the 2036 Summer Olympics in Doha, according to a source familiar with the Olympic bid process.

Khalifa International StadiumPhoto: Gabriel BOUYS / AFP / Profimedia

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has not announced any date when it plans to award the 2036 sporting event.

Qatar failed to make the shortlist for the 2016 and 2020 Games, partly due to concerns about summer temperatures in the desert state, so the Games were held in Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo.

Qatar is expected to push for the event to be moved to the end of the year, as it did with the World Cup, where it used advanced air conditioning systems to reduce the heat in the stadiums.

The 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha were held at the Khalifa International Stadium from the end of September to the beginning of October.

Since then, the IOC has modernized the process of awarding the Games, moving from the traditional tender process to the selection of a preferred candidate among interested cities. Brisbane 2032 was the first Games to be awarded using this method.

Qatar is in the first position to host the Olympic Games in 2036

With the Games due to be held in Paris in 2024 (Europe), Los Angeles in 2028 (North America) and then Brisbane (Australia), one would expect Qatar’s bid to be warmly received if the IOC switched continents, although In October, the IOC announced that it was conducting preliminary negotiations with 10 cities.

Countries that have expressed interest in hosting the 2036 Games include India, Indonesia and South Korea. Germany is also considering making another bid for the Olympics, despite strong domestic opposition to the Olympics.

“The success of this World Cup so far puts Qatar in a strong position – they’ve shown they can do it… it’s a proof of concept. They hosted the Asian Games in 2006; and they will host them again in 2030. All the infrastructure is here – stadiums, metro, a new airport,” a source told Reuters.

If the 2036 Olympics are held in Doha, it will be the first Olympics to be held in a Muslim country.