Qatar has reduced the number of stadiums it plans to build for the 2022 soccer World Cup by a third, according to a Bloomberg report.
Qatar will now build only eight stadiums for the event, Ghanim Al Kuwari, the organizing committee’s senior manager for projects, was quoted as saying at a conference in Doha. It originally announced plans for 12 stadiums, including nine new and three refurbishments.
Al Kuwari didn’t give a reason for the cut, said the report.
Qatar plans to spend more than $200 billion on new infrastructure before hosting the sporting event.
The projects are facing delays and escalating costs. Work started later than planned on the metro system and the opening of the new airport is six years behind schedule, the Bloomberg report added.
In addition to the stadiums, 92 training sites will be constructed, Al Kuwari said in the report.
