Pie in the sky! Qatar invents artificial clouds to beat the heat at 2022 World Cup

By Sportsmail Reporter

Qatar have developed artificial clouds to provide shade for stadiums and training grounds at the 2022 World Cup.



The extreme heat in summer months in the Middle Eastern country has led to concern about conditions at the tournament, with some suggesting it should be played in the winter.



Qatar say they will air condition the stadia via solar power and now scientists at Qatar University have designed the 'cloud' which can be produced at a cost of US $500,000 (£310,000) each.

State of the art: An artitist's impression of the Al-Rayyan stadium which will play host to World Cup matches

Saud Abdul Ghani, head of the mechanical and industrial engineering department, told Gulf News the 'clouds' are made from a lightweight carbon structure carrying a giant envelope of material containing helium gas.



Four solar powered engines move the structure via remote control.



The decision to award Qatar the tournament sparked controversy when it was announced following a vote by the 22-man executive committee in December. Russia were named hosts for 2018 at the same time.

Didn't see that one coming: FIFA chief Blatter reveals Qatar will host the 2022 World Cup in Zurich last year

With temperatures soaring as high as 50 degrees Celsius in the summer there was speculation the World Cup would take place in the winter and alter the fixture calenders of the major leagues across the globe.

It was also suggested that some matches could be played in other areas of the Arabian Gulf due to the close proximity of the stadiums in Qatar.

FIFA have since dismissed both ideas, insisting the tournament will go ahead in the summer and all matches will take place in Qatar.

Qatar beat bids from Australia, the United States and 2004 World Cup co-hosts Japan and South Korea.



Fan-fare: Qataris celebrated when they were awarded the 2022 World Cup at the vote in December

The FIFA committees' decision came as a slight surprise after the US and Australia bids had been highly-fancied.



Qatar's Emir Sheikh Mohammad bin Hamad Al-Thani said at the time of the vote that the decision to award the nation the hosting rights for the 2022 World Cup marked a 'milestone' for the sport in the Middle East.

Al-Thani said: 'On behalf of millions of people living in the Middle East, thank you. Thank you for believing in us, thank you for having such bold vision. Thank you also for acknowledging this is the right time for the Middle East. We have a date with history which is summer 2022.

'We acknowledge there is a lot of work to do and we stand by our promise and we will honour the sacred trust given to us today. We will deliver with a lot of passion and we will make sure this is a milestone in the history of the Middle East and in the history of FIFA.'























