The Qatar Association of Athletics Federations (QAAF) have made the same request to the IAAF that the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) have made to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that they be allowed to move the dates from the traditional window in July and August to later in the year when the weather will not be so hot.

The dates issue is a particularly sensitive one following FIFA's controversial decision last year to award the 2022 World Cup to Qatar and the subsequent calls to move the tournament from its traditional June/July slot to January to avoid the scorching summer heat in the Middle East.

The average high temperature in Doha during July and August is above 106 degrees.

In accepting Doha's request to hold the Olympics outside the normal window, the IOC added that while accepting a shift of dates it had also asked for "full assurances" to protect the health of athletes and fans, as the average high temperature in October is still 95.4 degrees. 

"In order to protect the health of the athletes, the IOC will publish a list of events which must be organised at the most appropriate time determined by the IOC [early morning/late afternoon]," it said in a statement.

"This scheduling should not be detrimental to the organisation, the broadcast coverage or the spectator experience.

"Measures should be taken to protect the health of the public and all technical and support staff."

The IAAF must now decide whether they will allow their flagship event to be held at a time when most athletes have normally finished their seasons and also when there will be more competition to be shown on television.

At the time of the year that Doha hope to stage the 2017 Championships the group stages of the Champions League will be getting underway while the NFL will have started in the United States and the IAAF may fear that its event is not a big enough draw to compete against those sports.

The latest the World Championships have previously been held was in 1987 when Rome staged them between August 28 and September 6. 

The request could quickly become a major affair for the IAAF as, with Barcelona having withdrawn its bid and London's still dependent on a solution being found to ensure that the running track remains in the Olympic Stadium after London 2012, Doha may be the only candidate left by the time the election is due in Monte Carlo on November 11.

When Doha hosted the Asian Games in 2006 they held the event between December 1 and 15 and this year's Arab Games in the Qatari capital is due to take place between December 9 and 23.

"The Asian Games have really raised our profile," said Dahlan Jumaan Al Hamad, the President of the QAAF and a vice-president of the IAAF.

"And after that, we started to look for more big sports meets.

"As far as the 2017 World Championship bidding is concerned, we know about our competitors present in the bid battle and we are also aware how tough winning the rights to hold the World Championship would be.

"But with the support of the Emir H H Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and the Heir Apparent H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, we're staking our claims quite strongly and highly optimistic about bringing the meet to the Arab world for the first time."

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