Qatar ignores World Cup criticism to claim diplomatic victory

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Qatar has waged a ‘culture war’, corruption allegations and rights abuses while hosting the World Cup, but experts say the Gulf state has boosted its image everywhere but in some parts of Europe.

The emirate entered the tournament under scrutiny for its treatment of foreign workers and LGBTQ people, but one of the last images to emerge from the event was the emir of Qatar putting a traditional Arab coat on the shoulders of the Argentinian star Lionel Messi.

“That’s what people will remember,” said Carole Gomez, a sports sociology specialist at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland.

She highlighted fears over the organization and security of the event, as well as Qatar’s condemnation ahead of the start of the World Cup.

“The politicization hasn’t been as bad as it could have been and if there were any issues, they didn’t get a lot of coverage,” Gomez said.

The energy-rich state spent at least $200 billion on pre-World Cup infrastructure projects that rights groups say were built by exploiting low-paid foreign workers facing harsh conditions dangerous jobs.

Qatar insists it has since made serious labor rights reforms.

Its leader, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, said after the competition “we have kept our promise to organize an exceptional championship” – the first in an Arab country.

As a major global natural gas supplier and intermediary in conflict zones such as Afghanistan, Qatar already wielded diplomatic clout, but struggled to gain public recognition.

However, the World Cup left an impression on the Arab world and beyond.

– Scarf diplomacy –

Images of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman wearing a Qatari scarf on the opening day, and the Emir of Qatar later draped in green Saudi colors, sealed the neighbors’ reconciliation after Prince Mohammad led a regional blockade of Qatar from 2017 to 2021.

The public airing of the Palestinian cause in the stadiums and Morocco’s rise to the semi-finals of the tournament also bolstered feelings of Arab pride.

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Qatar has already organized more sporting events to keep it in the eyes of the international community. He is also reportedly preparing a bid for the 2036 Olympics, as well as hosting summits and other events, including Formula 1 in 2023.

Western media and international rights groups have targeted Qatar over labor rights and women’s rights ahead of the football gala.

Andreas Krieg, associate professor of security studies at King’s College London, said Qatar had been caught up in “a culture war” in Europe, but he believes the criticism had little impact for the most part. of the world.

“Qatar was able to use the World Cup effectively to establish their brand, especially in the Global South,” Krieg said.

“This has made Qatar a rallying point for the Arab and Islamic world which has mobilized to support Qatar as a champion of regional issues, such as Palestine or anti-colonialism,” he added.

Ever since world football’s governing body FIFA named Qatar as hosts in 2010, allegations of corruption have surfaced. But the organization says nothing about Qatar has been proven and ignored the controversy.

The World Cup “gave Qatar the opportunity to cleanse its image as a country of scandals,” said Raphaël Le Magoariec, a sports geopolitics specialist at the University of Tours, France.

Simon Chadwick, professor of sport and geopolitical economics at SKEMA business school in Paris, said the Gulf state had “witnessed a net soft power advantage” in Asia, Africa and the Arab world through its World Cup campaign.

Attitudes have even changed in parts of Europe, Chadwick added, although he believes “there is still considerable resistance” in countries such as Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands.

But with a new Belgian investigation into allegations that Qatar tried to drum up support in the European Union parliament, some experts say Doha will now have to start much of the hard work on public relations again.

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