<P> According to a staff writer for BQ in 2014, "Qatar currently has about 2,500 km of highways and the set plan is for 8,500 km by 2020, in addition to public transport bus lines". The writer quoted Jassim bin Saif Al Sulaiti, Minister of transport, who said "local roads now extend to an area covering 9,500 km and the set plan is to increase this area to cover 34,000 km 2020 . We currently have 160 bridges connecting roads and it is expected that the number of bridges would reach 200 by 2020, in addition to increasing the number of tunnels from the current one to 32 in the future". </P> <P> According to a staff writer for BQ, "work is underway to improve the public bus service and infrastructure and a plan of action has been drawn up covering a period of five years". The writer quoted Jassim bin Saif Al Sulaiti, Minister of transport, who said "Qatar has allocated QR 5 billion over the next five years to develop the current fleet of 400 buses in the public transport company to a network of 2,000 buses". </P> <P> By some estimates, the World Cup is going to cost Qatar approximately £ 138 billion (US $220 billion). This is about 60 times the $3.5 billion that South Africa spent on the 2010 FIFA World Cup . Dr. Nicola Ritter, a German legal and financial analyst, told an investors' summit held in Munich that £ 107 billion would be spent on stadiums and facilities plus a further £ 31 billion on transport infrastructure . Ritter said £ 30 billion would be spent on building air - conditioned stadiums with £ 48 billion on training facilities and accommodation for players and fans . A further £ 28 billion will be spent on creating a new city called Lusail that will surround the stadium that will host the opening and final matches of the tournament . According to a report released in April 2013 by Merrill Lynch; the investment banking division of Bank of America, the organizers in Qatar have requested from FIFA to approve a smaller number of stadiums due to the growing costs . Bloomberg.com said that Qatar wishes to cut the number of venues to 8 or 9 from the 12 originally planned . A report released on 9 December 2010 quoted FIFA President Sepp Blatter as stating that Qatar's neighbours could host some matches during the World Cup . However, no specific countries were named in the report . Blatter added that any such decision must be taken by Qatar first and then endorsed by FIFA's executive committee . Prince Ali bin Al Hussein of Jordan told the Australian Associated Press that holding games in Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, and possibly Saudi Arabia would help to incorporate the people of the region during the tournament . </P> <P> At the time of being awarded the tournament, Qatar were ranked 113 in the world, and had never qualified for the World Cup before . The furthest the team had ever progressed in the AFC Asian Cup was to the quarter - finals in 2000 (repeated in 2011, as hosts). The most prestigious accolade the team had won was the Arabian Gulf Cup twice, both times hosting (won once again in 2014, in Saudi Arabia). Qatar will be the smallest country to host the World Cup (smaller than 1954 hosts Switzerland) and, as of 2010, had a permanent population of less than one million people, less than the 1.7 million population of Uruguay in 1930, when they hosted the tournament . These facts led some to question the strength of football culture in Qatar and if that made them unsuitable World Cup hosts . </P>

How much will the 2022 world cup cost