19.08.2008
Dates
An Ideal Time in a Distinctive Environment
Doha 2016 is proposing to hold the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games on Friday 14 October 2016, with the competitions taking place between 15-30 October. The Closing Ceremony will take place on Sunday 30 October.
It proposes to hold the Paralympic Games between 12-23 November, dates which the International Paralympic Committee has indicated it will accept.
These dates provide ideal conditions for the celebration of the Games. The recorded maximum temperatures during this period have been consistent over the past 10 years. The temperatures and humidity levels will be conducive to the optimum performance of the athletes and the comfort of the spectators.
The average temperature at 3pm during the proposed dates for the Games is 31.4˚C over the past 10 years. The average temperature at 9pm is 27.4˚C over the past 10 years. The average humidity has been 49.3% at 3pm and 68.5% at 9pm.
The proposed Games period precedes the high tourist season in Doha, so hotels in Doha will be able to provide all the required rooms without significantly impacting their normal operations – and room prices will reflect off-peak season rates. The reduced traffic in the city will also make Games transport operations easier.
All of the major higher-education institutions will be in session and Doha 2016 has initiated cooperative agreements with many of them to provide internships and other programmes for their students, who will form a core group of Games volunteers. All other schools and colleges will reschedule their calendars to allow students and staff to attend each day of the Games.
While the proposed dates fall outside the dates listed in the Applicant City Questionnaire, there are ample precedents for dates outside of these parameters, such as Sydney 2000 (15 September to 1 October), Seoul 1988 (17 September to 2 October), Mexico City 1968 (12 October to 27 October), Tokyo 1964 (10 October to 24 October) and Melbourne 1956 (22 November to 8 December).