Hassan Al Thawadi

Hassan Al Thawadi (born 1978) is a Qatari lawyer who was Secretary General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, the body that delivered the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. A law graduate of the University of Sheffield, he led Qatar's bid and tournament delivery and was the country's most prominent public voice in answering criticism over workers' rights and the bid-corruption allegations, which he denied. ^{1 2}

Al-Thawadi's full name is given as Hassan Abdulla H.R. Al-Thawadi. ¹ He is the son of a Qatari diplomat, and his younger brother Ali al-Thawadi is also a diplomat who sat on the board of Qatar's World Cup committee. ¹ He took A-Levels in General Studies and Philosophy at John Leggott College in 1998 and then graduated in law from the University of Sheffield. ¹ He speaks Spanish, French, English and Arabic, and is a supporter of the French club Olympique Lyonnais. ¹

Al-Thawadi was appointed Secretary General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, the local organising body for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and fronted Qatar's case through a decade of scrutiny of the tournament. ¹ He was recognised as one of World Soccer magazine's 2022 People of the Year, and he holds board positions in Qatari semi-public bodies, including Katara Hospitality. ¹ The bid he led was dogged by allegations: Phaedra Almajid, a former media officer for the bid, alleged that three African football officials had been offered €2.3 million each for their votes at a meeting in January 2010 — money she said was intended for their federations; she later retracted her claims, and Al-Thawadi denied the allegations, calling them false. The claims resurfaced in the Netflix documentary series 'FIFA Uncovered', and the controversy is presented here as the sources present it. ¹

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