How To - Use The Doha Metro and Get To The 2022 World Cup Stadiums

The FIFA 2022 World Cup Qatar is being mooted as the first World Cup in the tournament's history, where fans can attend several matches in just one day. Why? With an area of just 11,571 km2, Qatar is the smallest country ever to host the World Cup, and the tournament will be held within a radius of less than 60 km, with the majority of stadiums and event facilities located in only a few host cities. It also helps that the country has a host of modern transport options ready and waiting to ferry over a million residents and visitors to and from each tournament match, as well as Qatar's many sights and attractions. Fans and spectators can get around by car, taxi or bus, travelling on Qatar's brand new roads and five-lane highway systems, or, more likely for the vast majority, by Metro.

The Metro

Inaugurated in 2019 and only six years in the making, the Doha Metro was built as part of Qatar's National Vision for the country's future, designed to enhance the nation's lives, add fuel to the country's growing economy, and provide a sustainable, green transport option. And, with only a few kilometres (on average) between stations, travelling on high-speed trains, the journey from station to station only takes minutes - perfect for World Cup attendees looking to cram as many matches and sights in as possible!

So, if you are using the Metro, what can you expect?

Train Lines

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Doha Metro consists of three lines - Red, Gold and Green. The train lines stretch north, east, west and south of Doha over 76 km and together accommodate 37 stations.

The Red Line runs from Al Wakra, in the south, to Lusail in the north, with a branch off to the east taking travellers to Hamad International Airport’s Terminal 1. The Red Line stretches 40 km in total and stops at 18 stations.

The Gold Line transports customers from Ras Abu Aboud, southeast of the city, to Al Aziziyah, southwest. Trains stop at 11 stations along the Gold Line's 14 km.

The Green Line ferries passengers from centrally located Al Mansoura to Al Riffa, west of the city, along its 22 km length, stopping at 11 stations.

Trains

Seventy-five state-of-the-art driverless trains, designed especially for Qatar and which can travel up to 100 kph (the fastest driverless trains in the world), operate across the Metro network.

Each train comprises three carriages - one for Gold Club and Family ticket holders and two for Standard ticket holders. All carriages are accessible and provide dedicated space for wheelchair users.

Not only is each train fast and efficient, but they are clean, modern, accessible and spacious, with handy information displays and real-time service updates in Arabic and English.

Metro Stations

Each of Doha Metro’s 37 stations is equipped with an information kiosk, ticketing office and easy-to-use ticket vending machines, prayer rooms and restrooms, first aid room, lifts, security cameras and plenty of trained customer service staff.

Msheireb and Al Bidda stations provide interchange between lines. Msheireb Station, the central interchange, allows passengers to change between all three lines, and Al Bidda provides an interchange between the Green and Red lines only.

Costs?

During the 2022 FIFA World Cup, travel for ticket holders on the Metro (and trams, public buses and tournament buses) costs nothing, nada, not a penny! Indeed, every ride is free, for Hayya Card or Hayya To Qatar 2022 app holders, from November 10th to December 23rd. If you secured a tournament ticket, you should have applied for your Hayya Card via the Qatar2022 website or the Hayya to Qatar 2022 app (available for iOS and Android). 

Under normal circumstances or without a Hayya Card or app, you will need to purchase a travel card…

Purchasing Travel Cards

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Travel cards are available for travel in Gold Club, Family and Standard carriages. Children over 5-years of age and adults require tickets for travel; under 5’s travel free.

Gold Club

Gold Club Travel Cards can be purchased at Gold Club Offices or Vending Machines in each Metro station, for QAR 100. The card must be ‘topped-up’ with credit before travel.

Single trips in Gold Club carriages cost QAR 10, and Day Passes cost QAR 30.

Standard

Standard Travel Cards are for use in both Standard and Family carriages. The travel card can be purchased for QAR 10 at Vending Machines in each Metro station or at licensed retailers (Al Meera, LuLu, Carrefour, Jumbo Electrics and Family Food Centre). The card must be ‘topped-up’ with credit before travel.

Single trips cost QAR 2, and Day Passes cost QAR 6 (max. daily).

Gold Club and Standard Travel Cards can also be topped-up via the Qatar Rail website or via the Qatar Rail mobile application (see below).

NOTE: During the World Cup period (December 11th to December 22nd), Gold Club and Family Class carriages will all be deemed Standard Class to allow for extra capacity. The fare for Gold Club Travel Card holders will drop to QAR 2 during this time.

Qatar Rail Mobile Application

A mobile application is available for Metro customers. The application allows users to plan their journey, check services, top-up travel card credit, and check free shuttle bus timings and bus stop locations (see below).

The QR Mobile App can be downloaded via the App Store or Google Play.

Getting There and Away

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Free buses and a trial free car-share service are available to take Metro travellers to and from Metro stations. The service offers transport from or to up to 5 km away.

Metrolink

Free Metrolink shuttle buses operate out of each Metro Station. The buses transport Metro customers to and from the station within a set radius. Buses run every 12 minutes. The bus schedule for each station is provided at the station entrance and can be viewed online, via the Qatar Rail website and the associated QR Mobile App.

Metro Express

The Metro Express is a free trial car-share service, currently operating out of the West Bay and DECC stations. The service offers Metro customers first and last transport to and from the station in 7 seater vans. The service is booked through the Metro Express Application (downloaded via the App Store or Google Play).

World Cup Shuttle Buses

Specifically for the 2022 World Cup, dedicated shuttle buses will operate, on match days, to transport ticket holders to and from specified Metro stations to each of the eight stadiums - a free service to those with the Hayya Card or app (see more information below). The Shuttle Bus service to each stadium will start approximately four hours before match kick off and end an hour and a half after the final whistle.

Getting To The World Cup Stadiums

The main reason for visiting Qatar during the 2022 World Cup is to watch football in one of Qatar’s eight new stadiums. So, it would be helpful to know how to get to each of them on the Metro. 

While there are plenty of locations from which visitors to Qatar will start their World Cup journey, we have chosen two of the main starting points, the airport, Hamad International, or the centre of Doha or very near the centre. The following information, therefore, should help you travel to each of the World Cup stadiums from the airport or the central interchange station located in the heart of Doha, Msheireb Metro Station:

Ahamd bin Ali Stadium

If you are travelling from Hamad International Airport to Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Ar Rayyan, you need to:

• Take the Red Line north from the airport to Msheireb Metro Station (5 stops, 17 minutes);
• Change on to the Green Line, heading West to Al Riffa Metro Station (9 stops, 28 minutes);
• Alight at Al Riffa from where you can walk to the stadium (15 minutes).

From Msheireb, follow the instructions above and take the Green Line to Al Riffa Metro Station.

Al Bayt Stadium

If you are travelling from Hamad International Airport to Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, you need to:

• Take the Red Line north from the airport to Lusail Metro Station (14 stops, 42 minutes);
• Disembark at Lusail and take the Metro Shuttle Bus service (S950) to Al Bayt (25 minutes);
• From the shuttle bus drop-off point you can walk to the stadium (15 minutes).

From Msheireb:

• Take the Red Line north to Lusail Metro Station (9 stops, 25 minutes);
• Disembark at Lusail and follow the instructions above.

Al Janoub Stadium

If you are travelling from Hamad International Airport to Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakra, you need to:

• Take the Red Line north from the airport to Oqba Ibn Nafie Metro Station (1 stops), change to ride south on the Red Line to Al Wakra Metro Station (3 stops, 16-21 minutes in total);
• Get off at Al Wakra and take the Metro Shuttle Bus service (S920) to the Al Janoub drop-off point (up to 15 minutes);
• From the shuttle bus drop-off point you can walk to the stadium (15 minutes).

From Msheireb:

• Take the Red Line south to Al Wakra Metro Station (7 stops, 19 minutes);
• Disembark at Al Wakra and follow the instructions above.

Al Thumama

If you are travelling from Hamad International Airport to Al Thumama Stadium in Al Thumama, you need to:

• Take the Red Line north from the airport to Oqba Ibn Nafie Metro Station (1 stops), change to ride south on the Red Line to Free Zone Metro Station (1 stops, 10-15 minutes in total);
• Disembark at Free Zone and take the Metro Shuttle Bus service (S980) to the Al Thumama drop-off point (up to 20 minutes);
• From the shuttle bus drop-off point you can walk to the stadium (35 minutes).

From Msheireb:

• Take the Red Line south to Free Zone Metro Station (5 stops, 13 minutes);
• Disembark at Free Zone and follow the instructions above.

Education City Stadium

If you are travelling from Hamad International Airport to Education City Stadium in Ar Rayyan, you need to:

• Take the Red Line north from the airport to Msheireb Metro Station (5 stops, 17 minutes);
• Change on to the Green Line, heading West to Al Riffa and the Education City Metro Station (8 stops, 20 minutes);
• Alight at Education City from where you can walk to the stadium (15 minutes).

From Msheireb, follow the instructions above and take the Green Line to Education City Metro Station.

Khalifa International Stadium

If you are travelling from Hamad International Airport to Khalifa International Stadium in Al Waab, you need to:

• Take the Red Line north from the airport to Msheireb Metro Station (5 stops, 17 minutes);
• Change on to the Gold Line, heading West to Al Aziziyah and the Sports City Metro Station (6 stops, 15 minutes);
• Get off at Sports City from where you can walk to the stadium (15 minutes).

From Msheireb, follow the instructions above and take the Gold Line to Sports City Metro Station.

Lusail Stadium

If you are travelling from Hamad International Airport to Lusail Stadium in Lusail City, you need to:

• Take the Red Line north from the airport to Lusail Metro Station (14 stops, 42 minutes);
• Disembark at Lusail and walk to the stadium (10 minutes).

From Msheireb:

• Take the Red Line north to Lusail Metro Station (9 stops, 25 minutes);
• Alight at Lusail and walk to the stadium (20 minutes)

Stadium 974

If you are travelling from Hamad International Airport to Stadium 974 in Ras Abu Abboud, you need to:

• Take the Red Line north from the airport to Msheireb Metro Station (5 stops, 17 minutes);
• Change on to the Gold Line, heading East to Ras Abu Abboud Metro Station (3 stops, 7 minutes);
• Get off at Ras Abu Abboud and walk to the stadium (30 minutes).

From Msheireb, follow the instructions above and take the Gold Line to Ras Abu Aboud Metro Station.

Worth Noting

During the 2022 World Cup, the service hours for the Metro will be extended to the following:

• Saturday to Thursday, 6 am - 3 am;
• Fridays, 9 am - 3 am.

Main image: PhotoPlay/Shutterstock.com