Doha: The world’s first FIFA store was opened yesterday at Hamad International Airport (HIA).
Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, H E Akbar Al Baker and HIA Chief Operating Officer Engr Badr Mohammed Al Meer led the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The FIFA store features clothing, footballs, accessories and World Cup 2022 official licensed products.
Clothing ranges from jerseys of teams qualified for the biggest sporting event, to shawls, caps, and jackets. Other items include Official FIFA World Cup 22 Riyal Note - Souvenir Currency, Gahwa cup set, multi-charging cable, match ticket frame and La’eeb souvenir items.
La’eeb meaning ‘super-skilled player’ is the Official Mascot for this year’s FIFA World Cup 2022. He belongs to a parallel mascot-verse.
There is a special area called ‘FIFA Rewind’ where shoppers can purchase the FIFA classic clothing belonging to some of the most famous FIFA World Cups, including Mexico ‘70, France ‘98, South Africa ’10, and Uruguay ’30. These include classic t-shirts, jackets, hoodies, and more.
The adidas Al Rihla competition football and the recently unveiled adidas Al Hilm Pro Gold Football.
This is the official match ball for semi-finals and finals, can also be purchased at the store. Al Hilm translates as ‘The Dream’ in Arabic and features a unique graphic design, it replaces Al Rihla, meaning, “The Journey” in Arabic.
The FIFA store is located at The Orchard, North Plaza, which is part of the Phase A expansion of the airport.
Alongside of the opening of the store, there is a public viewing of the one-and-only, solid-gold original FIFA World Cup Trophy, where people can take a souvenir photo with the most iconic symbol in football. This trophy is presented by FIFA to the team winning the World Cup.
The trophy is made of pure gold and weighs over six kilogrammes. It has the engraving FIFA World Cup on its base, and depicts two people holding up the Earth. Its current design dates back to 1974.