Global mega-events: From Expo Dubai to World Cup Qatar

On November 21, 2022, Qatar will host the 22nd FIFA World Cup. This is the first time the world’s premier soccer event will take place in a Muslim country — and in the Arab world. More than one million visitors are expected for the month-long tournament, for which the host country has built several new football stadiums, renovated key cultural attractions and invested in municipal infrastructure. The World Cup is Qatar’s first global mega-event and follows the UAE’s hosting of Expo 2020 Dubai — the most recent World’s Fair and first in the Middle East — and Japan’s hosting of the 2020 Olympics. Both Expo 2020 Dubai and the Tokyo 2020 Summer Games were delayed one year due to the COVID pandemic.

Join us November 1 for a panel discussion on how global mega-events, such as the World Cup, World’s Fair and the Olympics may be used by host and participating countries as part of their nation-branding efforts, as moments of national celebration, and as part of their long-term planning and development. In addition to seeing some great soccer — or “football,” as the world knows it — what can a visitor expect to see while in Qatar? What was Dubai’s experience as the UAE delivered the Expo during the pandemic? What was the experience of the United States’ participation in Expo 2020 Dubai? What lessons might apply to Los Angeles and other North American cities as they prepare to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2028 Summer Olympics?