Along with the departed football crowds, thousands of foreign workers left the Gulf state after Lionel Messi lifted the coveted trophy on December 18. Many of those who stayed on are counting the cost. - AFPAlong with the departed football crowds, thousands of foreign workers left the Gulf state after Lionel Messi lifted the coveted trophy on December 18. Many of those who stayed on are counting the cost.
Akhtar Patel, who runs a jewellery store in Doha's Souq Waqif market, said business in comparison is"quiet".The Eid al-Fitr Muslim holiday brought back some shoppers, but the decline has been such that Sandeev Kumar, who runs a print workshop, sent two of his four staff back to India because he could no longer afford to pay them.
In this file photo taken on October 1, 2022 a general view shows the Katara Towers in the Qatari coastal city of Lusail ahead of the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup. - AFPAkbar al-Baker, head of Qatar's tourism agency and Qatar Airways, said hotel occupancy in the months after a World Cup is"always low". Concrete is also being poured at a new race track to host the second Qatar Formula One grand prix on October 8.
"Countries are now queuing to be part of the Years of Culture," he told an event for this year's partner, Indonesia.