Qatar has hired Burson-Marsteller for its bid to bring the 2022 World Cup to the Middle East for the first time.
Qater is competing against 11 countries (including two pairs) to host the tournament, considered the world’s biggest sporting event and held every four years. Qatar was tapped for the Asian Football Cup slated for 2011.
Competing for the 2022 tournament are the U.S., Japan, Mexico, South Korea, England, Russia, Spain-Portugal and Belgium-the Netherlands.
South Africa will host the 2010 World Cup and several are competing for the 2018 tournament (Qatar is only pitching for 2022). The hosts for both 2018 and 2022 will be announced in December '10.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani heads the country’s bid committee.
Dennis Landsbert-Noon, a managing director for Burson in Brussels, is among those handling the account.
The firm previously worked on Doha, Qatar’s bid to host the 2016 Olympics and Paralympic Games. [That winning city is to be announced in October.]
Fleishman-Hillard is handling the U.S. bids for both the 2018 and 2022 Cup.
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