Future Olympics in Qatar: Analyzing the Potential Consequences of Their Bid
In the race to host the 2036 Olympic Games, Qatar and India are currently leading contenders, engaging in active dialogue with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) under the new, more collaborative selection process.
Qatar, with its official bid committee and extensive dialogue with the IOC, has highlighted that 80-95% of the required sports infrastructure already exists. The country's history of hosting major international events, such as the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the upcoming 2027 Basketball World Cup, supports its strong position. However, concerns remain regarding public support, human rights issues, and regional dynamics with Saudi Arabia, which could influence the bid's prospects.
India has formally entered the race with Ahmedabad as the candidate city. Although India has not hosted the Olympics before, it has experience organising the 2010 Commonwealth Games. The Indian bid is reportedly preferred by some IOC members, reflecting its appeal given India's population and growing sports infrastructure.
Indonesia is also participating in the bidding process, having entered the dialogue phase in March 2025. Details about specific cities or progress beyond this entry are limited, indicating an earlier stage compared to Qatar and India.
South Korea and Istanbul have shown historical interest in hosting the Olympics but have not shown significant recent activity for the 2036 Games based on available information.
The host selection process has shifted from traditional competitive bidding and voting to a more flexible and collaborative "targeted dialogue" with potential hosts. This allows the IOC to engage with multiple interested parties early on, assess their readiness, and potentially select a host in a more inclusive and less contentious manner. The new approach has caused some criticism but aims to prevent costly and polarized bidding wars and is still evolving, with final decisions for 2036 expected around 2027 or later.
Jean-Loup Chappelet, professor of public management at the University of Lausanne, believes that having facilities is not the most important factor for the Olympics nowadays. He isn't sure if Qatar would conduct a referendum to gauge popular support for the Olympics bid.
The ultimate selection depends on how prospective hosts navigate the IOC's revised procedures, infrastructure readiness, public and political support, and international considerations. The IOC will face criticism if they choose Qatar due to human rights concerns, but it can be done if they are willing to bear the criticism. Newly elected IOC President Kirsty Coventry has called for a pause in the host selection process and a review of the future host election process.
[1] Source: The Guardian, The Washington Post, and The New York Times [2] Source: The IOC's official website [3] Source: Qatar Olympic Committee's official website [4] Source: BBC News [5] Source: University of Lausanne's official website
- The world is observing a shift in the Olympic host selection process, with a focus on targeted dialogue and collaboration instead of traditional bidding and voting.
- Despite Qatar's strong position due to its existing sports infrastructure and hosting experience, concerns about human rights issues, public support, and regional dynamics with Saudi Arabia persist.
- India, with its growing sports infrastructure and population, has entered the race for the 2036 Olympic Games, but has yet to host the Olympics before.
- Asia, Africa, and America each have representatives in the bidding process - Qatar, India, and Indonesia respectively - while South Korea and Istanbul have shown historical interest but have not shown significant recent activity.
