A guide to travelling to Qatar from Saudi Arabia for the FIFA World Cup 2022
How you can get to Qatar to support the green falcons…
It is less than one month until the world cup begins in Qatar – the first Arab nation to host the tournament.
The Saudi Arabia national team is in Group C, playing Argentina on Tuesday, November 22, followed by Poland on November 26, and Mexico on November 30. The top two teams will advance to the next round.
Those with tickets will be pleased to hear that according to the Ministry of Public Health Qatar, visitors (vaccinated and un-vaccinated) are no longer required to present a negative PCR test on arrival to Qatar.
Here’s all you need to know about travelling to Qatar from Saudi Arabia for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
Travelling by air
Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) is now accepting bookings for its shuttle flights service to Qatar exclusively for the tournament taking place in Doha. Football fans will be able to travel from Riyadh, Jeddah, or Dammam directly to Doha via shuttle flights, operating from November 20 to December 19.
The flights from Jeddah take around two hours and cost around SAR1,577 for a return flight. Riyadh is a one hour 30-minute flight costing SAR1,417 for a return, while Dammam takes around one-hour with return flights starting from SAR1,037. You can find the full flight schedules here: saudia.com
Anyone travelling to Qatar will need a World Cup ticket and a Hayya card which will allow fans to travel, enter the stadium, and avail free public transport. Be sure to download the Hayya app, where your card will be available following approval.
It’s our time to support our national team ??
Extra flights and special fares to Qatar ?? ✈️
— SAUDIA (@SaudiAirlinesEn) October 30, 2022
Travelling by road
Alternatively, one-day fans can drive from the Kingdom to Qatar’s border. The Ministry of Interior recently laid out the requirements for non-Qatari vehicles to do so… It involves pre-registering your car, parking at the Abu Samra border, and hopping on a bus for the rest of the ride. Spots are reserved for 24-hours only and overstay fines of QAR1,000 will be charged for the second day.
Find out more on how to register below:
Those coming through Abu Samra land border to attend one or more matches within 24 hours can enter and exit without a prior hotel reservation, provided they meet certain conditions. #MOIQatar #Qatar2022 pic.twitter.com/bHmmVFhyBV
— Ministry of Interior (@MOI_QatarEn) October 16, 2022
Images: Social