Qatar to donate World Cup buses to Lebanon

Qatar will donate buses used to transport fans during the World Cup to Lebanon to support the country’s transport sector, Lebanese media reported.

Prime Minister Najib Mikati discussed the issue with Qatari officials on the sidelines of the World Cup. The idea was inspired by Doha’s desire to donate some World Cup-related infrastructure to developing countries.

The donations will include whole football stadiums, thousands of stadium seats and buses. Qatar had purchased around 3,000 buses, in addition to the 1,000 buses it already has, which were used to transport fans for free during the event, according to Al Akhbar newspaper reports.

According to some sources, the Qataris offered to provide seats suitable for the sports city in Beirut and some municipal stadiums. However, the Lebanese side raised the possibility of supplying Lebanon with several buses.

Al Akhbar newspaper learned that Mikati discussed this with Qatar Foreign Minister Mohammad Bin Abdul Rahman Bin Jasem Al Thani, who manages the external investment fund for Qatar, in addition to political relations with some countries, including Lebanon.