Middle East & Africa | A host of problems

How Qatar is preparing for the World Cup, despite an Arab embargo

It can build stadiums quickly, but can it get Arab fans to show up?

|DOHA

QATAR FOUNDATION stadium has no fans or grass, but the action on the pitch is frantic. Two years ago it was a hole in the ground. Now a hulking crane and dozens of workers are installing a compression ring that will support the 4,500-tonne roof. Meanwhile, a state-run laboratory is experimenting with grasses flown in from around the world to find one best suited to Qatar’s desert climate.

This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “A host of issues”

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