CASE STUDY | 12 MINUTE READ

2 Million Fans Accessed the 2022 FIFA World Cup Website Built on Liferay

Qatar’s Supreme Committee created a customer portal to give fans a great experience from registration through the last match.
2
million fans
2
month implementation
5
different languages
Outline
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Key Takeaways

  • Leverage digital channels effectively.
    The Hayya portal supplemented and enhanced fans’ in-person experiences.
  • Reach your customers globally.
    With fans coming from around the world, the Supreme Committee made sure their portal was available in multiple languages.
  • Build a comprehensive solution.
    Fans were able to register, find free transportation and communication, and get stadium access all from the Hayya portal.

Background

In 2011, the State of Qatar established the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy to take ownership of the required planning, infrastructure, and operations that would be necessary to host worldwide sporting events like the 2021 FIFA Arab Cup and the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

With sustainability and hospitality at the heart of the project, the Supreme Committee managed the creation of stadiums, venues, and additional facilities in such a way that long after the tournament, those spaces can still be used as vibrant hubs of community life.
 

Challenges

The logistical difficulties involved in undertaking two major sporting events were immense, not only from an on-the-ground perspective, but also in terms of digital channels and communication.

Having already created a digital solution for the 2021 FIFA Arab Cup, the Supreme Committee had in mind the necessary requirements for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

One requirement was an online registration portal for fans from all over the world. This portal would need to:
  1. Support fans during the entire event. To provide fans with the best experience, the portal’s usability would have to go beyond registration.
  2. Have multi-language capabilities. Because of the global reach of the World Cup, the Supreme Committee wanted easy support for the most commonly spoken languages.
  3. Be integration-friendly. With so many different additional systems, the Supreme Committee required a solution that could easily connect with other technology.
[The] Hayya Portal served as an entry point to the state of Qatar and World Cup match stadiums for all the fans and residents.
Benson Wairegi,
CEO, Brittam 0

Implementation

Following up on the successful three-month implementation of a similar portal for the Arab Cup, Liferay Partner Mannai recommended Liferay to the Supreme Committee as the right solution for the portal.

In just two months, Mannai used Liferay to create the Hayya portal, in the process integrating it with many other systems including a mobile application, a payment gateway, and Qatar’s Ministry of Interior.
 
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Results

Serving as the entry point for both the state of Qatar and World Cup matches, fans came to the Hayya portal initially to apply for approval from the Ministry of Interior. Once approved, fans could also use the portal for perks like free Metro and bus access, stadium access, and access to exclusive fan festivals and discounts.

The Hayya portal accomplished the Supreme Committee’s digital strategy goals, resulting in:
  1. 2 million fans served. From before the start of the World Cup till the final match, the Hayya portal proved a useful tool.
  2.  Accessibility for fans worldwide. Using Liferay’s easy localization feature, fans could access the portal in five languages.
  3. Dynamic feature updates. As the tournament progressed, Mannai was able to refresh the portal with exciting news and features.