Doha: The Host Country Media Centre (HCMC) for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 has been officially opened by the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC).
Located in Msheireb Downtown Doha, the HCMC will help thousands of media professionals cover the tournament, which will get underway when hosts Qatar face Ecuador at Al Bayt Stadium on November 20.
The HCMC features a vast number of facilities, including a press conference room, studios, hot desks, IT support, photographer services, media lounge and restaurant. The facility will be open for 24 hours a day during the tournament, which will culminate with the final at Lusail Stadium on December 18.
Fatma Al Nuaimi, the SC’s Communications & Media Executive Director, said: “We are delighted to welcome media from across the globe to cover the first FIFA World Cup in the Middle East and Arab world. The Host Country Media Centre has been developed to help reporters, broadcasters, photographers and videographers seamlessly conduct their work while covering both the tournament and everything Qatar has to offer. We look forward to collaborating closely with media as they cover a unique edition of the FIFA World Cup.”
The HCMC will show every match live and host regular press conferences and fireside chats with SC and countrywide spokespeople.
The press conference room has capacity for 140 reporters and up to 25 camera positions. Press conferences will be live-streamed to media members sat at hot desks, increasing the capacity to nearly 500. There are also four studios and one broadcast studio which will be available for broadcasters to book.
The 300 hot desks are available to media on a first-come, first-served basis. All are connected to internet to power. In addition, some computers will be available to media, while IT service desk personnel will be on hand to troubleshoot if necessary.
The HCMC also features a photographer services desk which is being delivered in collaboration with Nikon and Cannon. Maintenance services will be offered free of charge, while essential parts will be available to buy.
There is also a media lounge with capacity to host 100 people and a restaurant with catering from the W Hotel.
Media interested in covering the tournament from Qatar or their home country can register for the Qatar Media Portal (QMP). The innovative digital platform offers journalists, content creators and broadcasters access to a wide range of resources in order to help them operate.
Available at media.qatar2022.qa, the QMP hosts exclusive host country content and facilitates a range of services, including interview requests with SC and government spokespeople, studio bookings and media tours.
