Hassan al-Thawadi

Position: Secretary-general, Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy

Biography: Now that Qatar has been cleared by the Fifa ethics committee to host the 2022 World Cup, Hassan al-Thawadi, head of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, has a huge task ahead of him. Progress on World Cup facilities has been slow and the pressure to deliver a successful tournament is building.

In April 2014, the committee confirmed it wanted to cut the proposed number of stadiums from 12 to the minimum eight specified by Fifa, to better reflect the size of the country. The committee also rejected the designs for the centerpiece Lusail stadium last year, saying they did not reflect the cultural heritage of Qatar.

Despite the scaling down of plans for the tournament, there are just seven years left to deliver a massive programme of work. Construction is under way on two stadiums, with another two out for tender. For Al-Thawadi, 2015 will be about returning the focus to delivery and away from controversy.