Flags fly amid World Cup fervour

With Qatar winning the bid to host FIFA’s World Cup 2022, sales of the national flag have surged across the country. Street hawkers selling the flags have been doing brisk business at roundabouts and key intersections in Doha and Rayyan.

“We have been camping out here since 9pm Thursday and began selling them again after Friday prayers,” a Bangladeshi seller said at a roundabout on Ali bin Talib Street.

“The demand has been astonishing. I have already sold 70 since Friday afternoon,” the hawker said at 4pm.

Prices of the flags have also jumped.

The smallest one was available for QR10 on Thursday but was being sold for QR35-40 yesterday.

Another hawker said he was simply cashing in on the fervour that the news has generated.

“We bought 500 flags from a retailer in advance. It was a risk we took. If Qatar didn’t win the bid, we were going to sell these for the Qatar National Day on December 18,” he said.

The flags come in various sizes, from ones that cover a car window to those that can drape a whole SUV.

The most popular with vehicle owners is a flag which clips onto a window’s edge, while another favourite has pictures of HH the Emir and HH the Heir Apparent on either side.

Yesterday, the biggest flag available was going for QR180-200.

“This is the greatest moment of our lives. We are going to head to the Corniche and want our car fully covered with flags,” a Qatari said yesterday as he bought five flags of varying sizes.

Streets in Qatar were lined with flags yesterday. Buildings were also covered with giant flags.

Another way of expression by vehicle owners was to spray-paint their cars with messages of support to Qatar.

Photocaption I: HH Sheikha Mozah Nasser al-Misnad waves to welcoming crowds on her return to Qatar with members of the Qatar 2022 Bid committee yesterday

Photocaption II: Peoples on the Corniche Road to welcome HH Sheikha Mozah Nasser al-Misnad and members of the Qatar 2022 Bid committee yesterday