Doha, 01 Feb. 2024 (QNA)

The Local Organizing Committee (LOC) of AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 revealed that the tournament continues to break records as it reaches its final stages.

Director of Communications and Marketing at the LOC of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 Hassan Rabeea Al Kuwari said that the tournament set many records during the group stage both in terms of attendance and the tournament's official platforms.

In a press conference held Thursday at the Main Media Center in Msheireb, Al Kuwari said that the LOC was keen to provide a unique hosting for players and fans alike, coming on the heels of hosting the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

He added that the record number of crowd attendance has been exceeded, with 1,170,219 fans present during the last rounds. About 3 million people used the Doha Metro and Lusail Tram. The total number of tickets sold for the matches amounted to about 1,200,000 tickets.

Al Kuwari pointed out that the opening match between Qatar and Lebanon at Lusail Stadium on Jan. 12 recorded the highest attendance rate of 82,490. He also pointed out that the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 witnessed the presence of about 2,000 media professionals, while interaction through social media and digital platforms for the tournament reached approximately 689 million followers, 5 million shares, and 208 million views of the videos released.

The Director of Communications and Marketing sees that the continued demand for ticket sales shows the great interest that the tournament enjoys among fans on the continent. Attending the matches is not limited only to fans of the teams that reached the final rounds, there are many fans from all over Asia seeking to come together, explore new cultures, build long-lasting friendships, and create wonderful memories.

There is no doubt that the participation of ten Arab teams made a great addition to the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 and the public momentum will continue until the final match. The demand for tickets for the matches is increasing and the LOC calls on the fans to purchase tickets from the official platforms for the tournament in order to avoid fraud, Al Kuwari said.

Brig. Abdullah Khalifa Al Muftah, representative of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 security force said in the press conference that no crimes or events disturbing public security had been recorded and that Qatar, thanks to the cooperation of all partners, has become a safe place for hosting sporting and other events due to its long experience.

Al Muftah added that the total number of passengers who used the Abu Samra Port to attend the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 starting from Jan. 10 to 31 reached about 600,000, while the number of vehicles passing through the Port during the same period exceeded 200,000.

The AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 is heading to its final rounds and Al Muftah calls on the sports fans to use the metro to reach the stadiums to save time and avoid any traffic jams or delays. He additionally stressed the importance of arriving early to the stadiums, which also gives them the opportunity to enjoy the events near the stadiums before the match.

Director of Shared Services at Qatar Tourism, Omar Al Jaber said that the success of the AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 is because of the combined efforts of all partners to provide an exceptional experience and services for the fans.

Al Jaber added that they have made sure to provide an enjoyable experience over the past weeks. The AFC Asian Cup Qatar 2023 recorded a distinguished attendance of fans and followers from all over Asia and the world. He expressed his pleasure to have them join Qatar once again after the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

There has been a remarkable presence throughout the tournament from all countries, notably visitors from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, especially Saudi Arabia, he added.

Omar Al Jaber concluded by saying that Qatar Tourism, through its vision and planning, was able to maintain its great tourism momentum as Qatar has received more than 4 million visitors during 2023. He said that they look forward to achieving their strategic plan in line with Qatar National Vision 2030 by becoming one of the fastest-growing tourist destinations in the Middle East.