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Doha prepares to take over as Asian Games host as organisers remain open to moving the 2030 event to 2031. (Images: X)
Doha: Qatar is open to moving the Doha Asian Games from 2030 to 2031 if the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) decides to restructure the continental sporting calendar around Olympic qualification. The potential change is linked to discussions over holding continental multi-sport events in the year before the Olympics, allowing some Asian Games competitions to potentially double as qualification events. Doha organisers say they are prepared to adapt if the OCA and International Olympic Committee (IOC) approve a new calendar.
Ahmad Abdulla Al-Buenain, chief executive of the Doha 2030 Asian Games Organising Committee, said the host city was focused on delivering a successful Games rather than being tied to a particular year. He said discussions involving the OCA, IOC and other stakeholders were continuing and that Doha would be ready to accommodate the final decision.
The organisers are therefore preparing for the possibility of a change while continuing work on the original Doha 2030 plan.
The proposed calendar change would place major continental Games closer to the Olympics. IOC President Kirsty Coventry has expressed support for the idea, saying continental Games held a year before the Olympics could potentially provide athletes with qualification opportunities. OCA is considering the broader implications of such a system, including how it could fit into an increasingly crowded international sporting calendar. For Doha, the decision will depend on discussions among the OCA, IOC, international sports federations and athlete representatives.
Doha has already begun developing its operational plans around infrastructure built for major international sporting events. Al-Buenain said the city would not need to construct additional competition venues even if the Asian Games programme includes more than 40 sports. Existing facilities will instead be reviewed and upgraded with the technology and operational systems required for the event.
The approach builds on Qatar's extensive sporting infrastructure, including venues used during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and other major international competitions.
The proposed master plan is expected to divide the Games into seven or eight geographical clusters. Aspire Dome is likely to serve as one of the central hubs, with the nearby Hamad Aquatics Centre also playing an important role. The organisers aim to use Doha's compact geography to limit travel times for athletes and officials while making competition venues easily accessible.
Athletes are expected to stay in a centralised village in Lusail. Organisers believe Qatar's relatively compact geography could help reduce transportation times between accommodation and sporting venues, with most journeys expected to take around 20 to 30 minutes. The village is also being planned as a social and cultural meeting point where athletes from across Asia can interact outside competition.
Food, entertainment and dedicated transport services are expected to form part of the village experience, alongside Doha's existing metro and tram networks.
Around 50 members of the Doha 2030 organising committee have been observing the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Japan to gain operational experience. The delegation has participated in workshops and meetings while studying areas including transport, accommodation and Games management. Doha plans to introduce its own observer programme when it hosts the Asian Games, allowing representatives from the next host and potentially future bidding nations to learn from the event.
The final dates for the Doha Games have not yet been announced. Qatar previously hosted the Asian Games in 2006 during December, a period chosen to avoid the extreme summer heat. The organisers are now examining the international sporting calendar to identify a suitable window. Al-Buenain said the priority was to find a period that would protect athletes' health and allow competitors to perform at their best.
A formal announcement on the dates could come by late 2026 or January 2027.
The final number of sports and participating athletes has also not been settled. Doha organisers said there was currently no fixed ceiling on athlete numbers and stressed that they were not looking to remove sports simply to reduce the scale of the event. Any final programme will be developed in consultation with OCA, national Olympic committees, international federations and other stakeholders.
Doha's preparations are now moving into a new phase as Qatar prepares to formally take over as the next Asian Games host. The Asian Games flag is scheduled to be handed to Qatar during the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 closing ceremony at Paloma Mizuho Stadium on October 4.
Whether the event ultimately takes place in 2030 or 2031 remains one of the biggest questions surrounding the next edition. For now, Doha says it is ready for either possibility.
