Rabat – Morocco and Qatar have released a joint statement promising to increase security cooperation and exchange information ahead of the 2022 World Cup, which will be held in the gulf state.
In addition to guaranteeing the audiences’ safety, the agreement also includes increased level of security in the competition, and extends to general cooperation in the field, BeIN Sports reported on Sunday.
A Moroccan team of cybersecurity agents visited the country in May, at Qatar’s request, to help tighten security at the Lusail Iconic Stadium, where the World Cup’s final match will be played.
The visit also saw Abdellatif Hammouchi, the head of Morocco’s General Directorate for National Security and Territorial Surveillance (DGSN-DGST), hold meetings with Qatari officials to strengthen security cooperation between the two.
Qatar, which is finalizing its preparations for the massive competition scheduled to start next month, had requested Morocco’s assistance and expertise in the security field. This lead to an improvement in cooperation between the two countries.
Faced with the logistical challenge of organizing the biggest sporting event on the planet, Qatar has asked several other countries for security assistance ahead of the massive sporting event.
Recent reports indicated that the gulf state could be enlisting civilians to mandatory military service to operate security checkpoints. Turkey announced earlier this year that it would send some of its forces to assist in the World Cup.
France, the UK, and South Korea all also agreed to assist the country with training, personnel, and material, according to Qatar’s Doha News.
It is expected that millions of fans will enter the country in November, as 32 countries will be competing for the World Cup, including the host country and the Moroccan national team.
