Cloudy in Qatar?

The surprise (to say the least) decision of FIFA awarding the 2022 World Cup to Qatar raised many questions. One of the hottest issues of the Middle Eastern country hosting the games is the average summer temperature in Qatar. In June and July (the typical months of the World Cup) Qatar averages high temps at 106 degrees Fahrenheit (41 degrees Celsius). Clearly athletes and spectators alike find those types of temperatures less than pleasant…well downright intolerable.

Two possible solutions for to the predicament Qatar has now found itself in have been explored: 1) move the games to a more temperate month or 2) leverage technology to combat the high heat. Option 1 appeared a likely possibility when both FIFA President Sepp Blatter and FIFA Vice-President Michel Platini expressed that the Cup would likely be moved to the winter months. However recent reports from AFC chief Mohamed bin Hammam, who led the Qatar bid, say that they (Qatar) did not intend to move the games. Additional Hammam said, “"If it is up to us then I believe it should be discussed after 2018,” and also said, “Our bid was for the World Cup to be played in the summer and this is our opinion.” So for the time being anyway, option 1 appears to be off the table.

Therefore Qatar and FIFA remain left with one very hot problem. This is where option 2, leveraging technology, offers some possible relief. The concept of using an artificial cloud system has been proposed and invented by a team led by Dr. Saul Abdul Ghani, Head of the Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Department at Qatar University. The cloud is, “made from a lightweight carbon structure carrying a giant envelope of material containing helium gas. The "cloud" would also feature solar panels on its upper surface to power engines that allow the cloud to be moved via remote control.” This technology is right now in a conceptual phase and has not actually been constructed yet. Early cost estimates for this cooling cloud are approximately half a million USD. But the cloud could potentially offer cooling of the arena by ~36 degrees Fahrenheit (or 20 degrees Celsius). While right now no decisions have been made to go forward on cloud construction, this concept offers some promise to concerned athletes and fans. REF. espn.com, gizmag.com