Mobility Analytics of Fans During the 2021 FIFA Arab Cup Football Tournament in Qatar

Abstract

The FIFA Arab Cup, a test event for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, took place in Qatar from November to December 2021. The event showcased 32 matches across six venues that will also be utilized in the World Cup. This paper presents a groundbreaking spatiotemporal analysis of traffic mobility during the event, using data collected from WaveTraf road sensors. The sensors detect and track Bluetooth and WiFi-enabled user devices, allowing for an analysis of user mobility, including the origin of spectators, the time taken to reach the stadium, dwell time inside the stadium, and the time taken to return to their origin after leaving the stadium. The study processed tens of millions of records, overcoming challenges such as filtering data anomalies and validating and preparing the data for analysis. The findings offer a comprehensive understanding of user mobility patterns during the event, which is valuable information for event organizers, city planners, and transportation providers to optimize services and enhance the overall user experience. Furthermore, the study highlights the importance of leveraging advanced technology to improve the planning and execution of large-scale events and transportation systems. The research showcases the power of data analytics in providing key insights into human mobility.