The Gulf World That Air Conditioning Wrought
From Saudi Arabia to Qatar, rulers have used modern air conditioning to control landscapes and lives, forgoing traditional methods of keeping cool.
As host-country Qatar took the pitch against Ecuador during the 2022 men’s World Cup opener, machines thrummed in the bowels of Al Bayt Stadium.
Outside, it was a humid 75 degrees Fahrenheit, but inside the open-air stadium, the crowd of more than 67,000 fans enjoyed ambient temperatures of about 68 degrees. Some even donned sweatshirts as chilled water was pumped through pipes in the underground machines, called absorption chillers, and then forced into the stands.
The installation of air conditioning systems across seven open-air stadiums at Qatar’s World Cup was controversial. Climate advocates warned that the tournament could set a dangerous precedent with its energy-guzzling air-conditioned amenities being marketed on the world stage as desirable and progressive.
Since Argentina’s Lionel Messi left Qatar with soccer’s most-coveted trophy, the concerns of climate advocates seem to have panned out. The region’s Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations, which include Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), are all doubling down on air conditioning.
