Accommodation crisis ahead of the 2022 World Cup.

Like in previous World Cups, Clegg hopes to follow his team throughout the tournament. He hopes Gareth Southgate's side will get through the group stage and reach the final, according to the BBC. However, if that dream comes true, Clegg faces a major challenge: He's not sure where he'll sleep for almost a month during the tournament.

"I just booked a room for the first four nights and it cost a lot of money. I don't have any cheaper options, so I'm not sure where I'll stay after that," he said.

Like Clegg, thousands of others are facing similar problems. The World Cup is about two months away, but many fans still haven't found accommodation in Qatar.

Scarce choice

The World Cup was expected to attract over a million tourists, but by March, Qatar only had 30,000 hotel rooms, 80% of which had already been booked by FIFA for teams, officials, and sponsors. To provide additional accommodation, organizers are offering shared rooms in empty apartments, villas, and traditional desert tents.

Two cruise ships have also been converted into hotels and are docked at Doha port. All these measures are expected to add 70,000 more accommodations for tourists. Qatar is making further efforts to provide around 130,000 "comfortable" rooms during the tournament. However, currently, accommodation options on land for tourists are limited and prohibitively expensive.

Camping in the desert on the outskirts of Doha is cheaper, around $200 per night. But many tourists say this price is still too high compared to the level of amenities and quality of service they receive. Anas Filali, a tourist who departed from the US, said there were no reasonable options for ordinary fans like him.

"200 USD for sleeping pods in the fan village is too expensive. Rooms on Airbnb are also very expensive. I hope to find better accommodation when I get there," he said.

On the Airbnb rental site, there are virtually no places priced under $200 per night. Leo Caglilio, an Australian traveler, is paying $265 per night for a private room in a homestay in Doha. He says he went to Brazil for the 2014 World Cup and had no trouble finding affordable accommodation.

"This time it's been really exhausting. I've been trying to find a room since April, but the prices are always sky-high," Caglilio said.

Tourists flock to Dubai.

Qatar is the smallest country in terms of land area among all the nations that have ever hosted the World Cup. The country is estimated to have spent $200 billion on infrastructure and stadiums since winning the right to host the tournament in 2010.

The group stage will be the "peak season," with matches taking place daily at several stadiums in Doha and surrounding areas. FIFA says nearly 2.5 million of the 3 million tickets may have already been sold, and 1.2 million visitors, equivalent to almost 40% of Qatar's population, are expected to attend the matches.

The difficulties faced by Qatar are creating opportunities for neighboring countries such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Oman. These nations have indicated they will operate additional flights to bring fans to the host country throughout the World Cup.

Dubai has emerged as an attractive destination, with hotel demand soaring ahead of the World Cup. The city will operate nearly 50 shuttle flights daily to Doha, less than an hour's drive away. Simon Witney, a fan from England, is currently in Dubai and plans to visit Doha only on the days his team plays. He noted that luxury hotel rooms in Dubai cost less than $100 a night, offering significantly better value and service than in Qatar.

"If I can find cheap plane tickets, I'll save a significant amount of money," Witney said.

Dubai estimates that around 1 million World Cup fans could visit the city, although some observers believe this target may be ambitious, as Qatar is also expecting a similar number of visitors. Despite the fatigue from the lack of accommodation, many fans like Paul Clegg still hope to stay in Qatar to fully enjoy the World Cup.

"I wanted to immerse myself in the atmosphere of the tournament. If I were in another country, I would miss that experience," Clegg shared.

Anh Thi