Turkish troops arrived in Qatar as part of Operation World Cup Shield to provide security at the FIFA World Cup 2022, the Turkish Embassy in Doha said Wednesday.

Türkiye’s Ambassador in Doha Mustafa Göksu welcomed the Turkish soldiers at the airport.

"Türkiye always stands ready to contribute to Qatar’s efforts for the success of the tournament," the embassy said on Twitter.

As part of a bilateral security cooperation deal, Ankara will deploy riot police, bomb specialists and sniffer dogs for the World Cup, which will run from Nov. 21 to Dec. 18.

With a population of less than 3 million – of which just 380,000 are Qatari nationals – Qatar faces a shortage of personnel as it gears up for the monthlong FIFA football tournament.

It has turned to Türkiye, its closest regional ally, to secure the competition which is expected to attract an unprecedented 1.2 million visitors to the small but wealthy gas-exporting Gulf state.