Paris / Information Office / October 19

Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the French Republic HE Sheikh Ali bin Jassim Al-Thani and HE Mayor of Nice Christian Estrosi have inaugurated an exhibition of the models of the eight world-class stadiums dedicated to hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup matches, at the National Sports Museum, as part of the activities of the Qatar-France year of culture 2020, in order to extend bridges of dialogue and cooperation with the various French regions.

The opening ceremony was attended by Director of the National Sports Museum Marie Grasse, a group of French personalities, parliamentarians and a number of journalists.

In a speech during the ceremony, the Qatari ambassador said that the innovative designs of these stadiums symbolize the Qatari culture and ancient history of the region, while responding to sophisticated engineering, technical and aesthetic requirements.

His Excellency pointed out to the design of the upper stands in some stadiums are in the form of removable units, so that their capacity is reduced after the end of the world cup and the donation of a number of seats, to develop sports projects in developing countries and contribute to spreading passion for this sport in different parts of the world. This makes these engineering innovations coupled with a spirit of determination to make the 2022 FIFA World Cup a true driver of social and human development, and assured that fans will be able to reach the matches via modernized roads, such as Doha Metro or an environmentally friendly light transport service.

The Ambassador expressed his readiness to strengthen cooperation with the city of Nice in general and its Sports Museum in particular, and to organize joint activities that contribute to enriching the history of sport, which remains one of the most important means of promoting dialogue and peace among peoples.

His Excellency thanked the museum officials for organizing this exhibition, which constitutes an occasion to express the distinguished partnership between Qatar and French in all fields, stressing that hosting this exhibition in one of the most important and most beautiful cities of the French Riviera reflects the depth of relations between the two countries and their constant endeavor to develop it through activities. And reciprocal initiatives and projects, in order to increase the firmness and solidity of the cooperation between them.

For his part, the Mayor of Nice expressed his admiration for the continuous preparations that are taking place in the World Cup projects, considering it evidence that the World Cup 2022, the first of its kind in the Arab world, will be legendary and exceptional by all standards.

While the of the Sports Museum Mary Grasse praised in her speech the distinguished level of international sporting events hosted by Qatar in recent years. It also expressed its admiration for the permanent determination of Qatar to develop the skills and the prominent and effective role that it plays in the fields of sport as a means of developing relations, strengthening friendships and creating exchange with countries and peoples of the world.

It is worth noting that the models of the Qatari stadiums intended to host the 2022 World Cup were displayed at the Arab World Institute in Paris and in the French city of Cannes, and were appreciated by French officials and the public.

On the sidelines of the opening of the exhibition, the Ambassador of Qatar held a bilateral meeting with the Mayor of Nice, during which they discussed ways to enhance cooperation between the State of Qatar and the City of Nice in various fields, especially in the framework of following up the activities of the Qatar-France year of culture 2020. They also discussed prospects for investment in a number of projects in the future.

During the meeting, the Mayor of Nice praised the city's readiness to develop and strengthen its partnership with the State of Qatar, in order to establish a vision that supports cultural radiation between the two countries and to encourage the enrichment of creativity, especially in arts and culture.