Video surveillance, rapid tests and 25% capacity: Qatar's experience to reopen stadiums

Technology will play a key role in the return to sports stadiums, controlling that the requirements are met to guarantee a safe environment in this period of pandemic. Some countries have started to use it to reopen the doors to fans. It is the case of Qatar, which has opted for the most cutting-edge video surveillance systems and a 25 percent capacity to allow the sport to be enjoyed again from the stands.

For it, The Zucchetti Group has been awarded, by contract, the project to implement a secure access control system in six stadiums where the FIFA World Cup will be held in 2022. The project has started at the Education City Stadium, where it has already been successfully implemented. This technology, developed by Zucchetti, is what is ensuring compliance with safety and health measures in this reopening.

The other stadiums where the company is working to ensure an effective access control system are Khalifa International, Al Janoub, Al Bayat, Ras Abu Aboud and Lusail. This video surveillance technology allows fans to access the stadiums at staggered schedules and maintaining a safe distance.

The system allows ticket quotas according to a schedule from the very issuance of the 'tickets', making it possible for fans to come to the stadium in a staggered manner. This applies both to the entry to the matches and to the exit of the venue, allowing compliance with the health measures of social distancing through internal surveillance cameras.

Previous reservation and staggered schedules

“In Doha, the stadium capacity was reduced to 25 percent. The system that we have designed made it possible to reserve tickets in advance online and collect them at certain offices. In these, a quick test was carried out on the amateur. Nevertheless, This test is not essential to allow a high percentage of fans to go to the stadium with full guarantee and safety, since access times are staggered. The organization of the accesses is carried out from the moment the tickets are issued “, explained the person in charge of automation at Zucchetti, Marco Marchetti.

Along the same lines, the Director of International Strategy, Dirk Schwindling, and Enrico Itri, International COO of Zucchetti, have highlighted the capacity and effectiveness of the access control and security systems to the Zucchetti Group stadiums, which have the experience of more than 120 different facilities around the world, which highlights the important role that the Italian multinational is playing globally.

“What the Zucchetti Group offers, both abroad and in Italy, is based on the concept of innovation”, says Enrico Itri. “In addition, the cloud has become the protagonist that allows us to overcome national borders, since we offer a complete and perfectly integrated range of management solutions, ranging from 'e-commerce', to point of sale systems, ERP solutions, Human Resources management or POS for hotels and restaurants among others “, he added.

An “active and thriving” market

Access control solutions are launched “in an active and thriving market”, which is currently “a priority for the Zucchetti Group, which is investing significantly in this area”, they explain from the company. This facilitates the management of access control and security in sports or other facilities in different parts of the world, opening the door to other synergies at a technological level.

“We manage access control and security for stadiums around the world, but we don't stop there”, adds Dirk Schwindling, detailing that, in several facilities, including a famous Italian stadium and one of the most important stadiums in Germany, work has been done to “unite and integrate access control with the commercial spirit of the facilities, through cash management solutions”.

“Thanks to the combination of two of Zucchetti's main business lines at an international level, a fan can now go to the stadium, show their ticket and benefit from discounts and advantages in merchandising and related food and beverage establishments with the sporting event, “concludes Schwindling.