Qatar inaugurated the world’s largest electric bus depot on Tuesday as it gears up to host the World Cup next month, according to the Qatar News Agency. The 400 sqkm Lusail bus terminal has capacity for nearly 500 buses and is the latest addition to the Transport Ministry’s public bus infrastructure program, which is being rolled out to provide greener transportation during the World Cup.

Officially the world’s largest: The terminal received a Guinness World Records certificate for being the world’s largest electric bus depot, Qatari media reported yesterday.

Almost 250 buses can charge at the same time: The depot has 248 electric charging stations for e-buses, as well as 24 stations for bus rapid transit (BRT) e-buses.

It appears to be the first solar-powered bus depot in MENA: The buildings will be powered through 4 MW of solar power generated every day through some 11k solar PV panels, making it the first solar-powered bus depot in the region, Qatar’s Transport Minister Jassim Al Sulaiti said. The facility won’t be fully powered by the sun’s rays though, with the ministry saying last year that a power station will also provide conventional energy.

This is one part of a wider bus electrification program: Under the government’s public bus infrastructure program, eight bus stations, four depots and more than 650 charging points are being set up, in part to support transportation during the World Cup. The program, which will eventually see some 1k electric buses in use across the country, is being rolled out by Swiss electrical equipment manufacturer ABB, which secured the contract to design, supply, test and commission charging infrastructure in 2021.