The skies of Doha were lit up on Thursday night as Qatar formally launched its bid to stage the 2016 summer Olympic Games and the Paralympics. So far there are six candidates in addition to Doha: Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro, Chicago, Madrid, Prague and Baku in Azerbaijan. Another Gulf state, Dubai, is also considering a bid. Should Doha win, Qatar would become the first Arab state to host an Olympics. Perhaps the biggest single factor working against the Qataris is the climate. Summer temperatures soar well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The Media Line revealed Qatar’s plan to bid for the games two and a half years ago. The International Olympic Committee will announce the winner at a ceremony in Copenhagen in October 2009.