2022 Qatar World Cup organisers have promised to hold the tournament in the summer despite concerns about the extreme temperatures in the middle east. Many of football's most influential figures, including UEFA president Michel Platini, have called for the tournament to be held during the winter months. However, the secretary general of the Qatar 2022 supreme committee, Hassan Al Thawadi, remains adamant that they have made sufficient plans to develop air-conditioned stadiums and areas for fans to deal with the searing heat, in order to host a successful tournament in the summer. "Fans will come. They will experience a middle eastern World Cup," Al Thawadi told the Guardian. "They will feel safe, they will feel secure, they will feel comfortable and they will have a lot of fun. "They will be physically cool and they will be cool in every sense." "There are two cities where the neighbourhoods use active and passive cooling techniques, whether in terms of shading or the way it brings in the wind. "Blowing in the cooled air is the active aspect but at the same time utilising shading techniques. Part of our commitment is that when fans come in they'll enjoy their time here. We made that commitment to the world and we can't back away from it."