Qatar's Property Owners Could Get 'Burnt' Should Country Lose '22 World Cup Rights

Experts have warned property investors in Qatar "could be 'burnt twice in less than a decade' if the country was to lose the right to host the 2022 World Cup" as the FIFA scandal unfolds, according to Anna White of the London TELEGRAPH. Property prices and land values "have soared around most of the 12 stadia under construction as developers pile into the luxury sector," according to a new report by the property search website, Lamudi.com. The report said, “The FIFA World Cup has contributed to the increase in developers in Qatar, affecting the prices of areas where stadiums are being built, as well as in neighbouring areas." The study from the company "showed that Ash Shamal, home of the proposed Al-Shamal Stadium, had the highest increase in land prices" with a 20% rise from '11 to March '15. This was followed by Umm Salal, where land values climbed 19.5%, and Al-Rayyan (14.6%). However, property prices and land values "could be rocked if the nation was to lose the right to host the World Cup" (TELEGRAPH, 5/30).