Qatar, the tiny and energy-rich Gulf Arab country that was picked on Thursday to host the 2022 World Cup, has placed Middle East football 'on the world map,' the head of Qatar's Olympic Committee said. Thousands converged on the corniche and other public places in Doha in an outburst of joy following the announcement in Zurich that Qatar would play host in 12 years to football's showpiece event. 'Qatar places the Middle East (football) on the world map,' Sheikh Saud bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, the head of Qatar's Olympic Committee, told Al-Jazeera television. Crowds watching the live broadcast on giant television screens burst into chants of 'Qatar, Qatar' following the announcement in Zurich by FIFA head Sepp Blatter. The Qataris saw off bids by the United States, Japan, South Korea and Australia. Streets around the corniche in Doha became gridlocked just minutes after the announcement, and younger fans blew plastic vuvuzela horns that deafened fans at matches at this year's World Cup in South Africa. 'By hosting the World Cup Qatar will honour all Arabs,' said Ashraf Jaber, a 34 -year-old Egyptian who lives and works in Doha. 'The chance to watch the World Cup from Qatar will be unrivalled,' said Robert Khoury, a 25-year-old Lebanese resident. The championship 'will have economic repercussions, and will generate prosperity for all' the inhabitants of Qatar, he said. 'We are all for Qatar,' read one colourful streamer raised by young residents of different nationalities. Qatar, a major oil producer and enormously rich in gas reserves but with a population of just 1.7 million inhabitants, has emerged in recent years as a major host of international sports and cultural events. It hosted the Asian Games in 2006 and will stage the Asian Cup, the region's top football event, in January next year. Russia also emerged a winner on Thursday, picked to host the world cup in 2018. 