Doha Diary: In Qatar, it is not just the fans who put the world in the World Cup

DOHA: Arriving at the main airport of a country set to host a major sporting eventnever fails to get the excitement flowing.

Qatar's Hamad International Airport didn't disappoint when I landed on Tuesday (Nov 15), with the arrivals area plastered with reminders that football's World Cup kicks off in a matter of days.

Posters of World Cup mascot La'eeb festooned the immigration counters and three dimensional Qatar 2022 signs decorated the baggage carousels. 

And while most fans have yet to pour in, there was an international buzz to my first hours in Doha, Qatar's capital city.

While this should not have come as a surprise - Qatar has a population of about 3 million, the vast majority of whom are foreigners - it still was an eye-opener.

In the airport terminal, a friendly Sudanese lady helped me sort out a SIM card, complimentary for fans and visitors attending the competition.

She told me that she has tickets for one of Cameroon's fixtures, and said she can't wait for the tournament to begin. 

As my turquoise taxi knifed its way downtown, flags of the various World Cup nations fluttered from the roofs of homes, shops and schools.

I spotted a Tamil radio station on my driver's screen. A Chennai native, he movedto Qatar recently to take up a job ahead of the World Cup. My arrival was part of the calm before the storm, being only his second airport passenger of the day.

No doubt, the fans should start arriving soon. Ticket sales are close to the 3 million mark ahead of the tournament, FIFA president Gianni Infantino and event organisers said last month.

At my apartment, I received a warm welcome from a receptionist from Uganda. He used to work in Dubai and moved to Qatar about six months ago in the lead-up to the World Cup.

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