Qatar formally became the next Asian Games host at the closing of the Aichi-Nagoya Games in Japan, starting a four-year countdown to Doha 2030, and the International Olympic Committee says it is one of seven countries interested in staging the 2036 Olympics, alongside India, South Africa, South Korea, Germany, Hungary and Turkey. Separately, Formula 1 has confirmed that its Qatar (29 November) and Abu Dhabi (6 December) races will go ahead, despite regional tensions linked to the Iran war that have already forced other Gulf races off the 2026 calendar. The developments show Qatar's push to cement its place as a major sporting host even as security concerns in the Gulf persist.