INTERNATIONAL: Members of the Qatari national soccer team took time out from their preparations for the Arab Cup on Sunday to hold a training session with tournament volunteers. The 16-team competition runs over the next three weeks, and is dress rehearsal for next year's World Cup, which will take place in the Middle East for the first time.

Qatar has spent the last decade preparing for one of the biggest events in the world, building state-of-the-art stadiums and commissioning infrastructure projects worth billions of dollars.

Qatari player Meshaal Barsham says, "I think this is a nice experience for people to be participating in the Arab Cup, and it is going to be in the same facilities as the World Cup and it is going to be a nice experience also to be ready for the World Cup."

The 5,000 volunteers for the Arab Cup will be drawn from Qatar's diverse ex-pat population, with dozens of nationalities represented, as well as a smaller number of people coming from overseas.

Arab Cup volunteer Rufaro Chindalo says, "I would really recommend other people to become volunteers you learn a lot; you gain a lot and you also give your skills and what you have. And you meet people from all over the world, it is like a big melting pot, one big happy family."

More than 35,000 applied to be a volunteer, with those chosen helping fans, players and media at the tournament, which will end on December 18, exactly a year before the World Cup final.