Source: Global People Author: Feng Qunxing Zhu Dongjun
In the past few days, even if you don't watch the ball, you may have brushed the emoji of the Qatar World Cup——
The mascot nicknamed "Gyoza Skin" is Raib↓↓
Seeing his country lose, the little prince who looked helpless ↓↓
A member of the royal family who left gracefully by elevator ↓↓
The World Cup is not the first major international event that Qatar has hosted. Previously, it also hosted the Asian Games, the Asian Cup, the World Short Course Swimming Championships... Various regional and international conferences are also regularly brought to Qatar.
Why is a small country with a total population of less than 3 million keen to appear at international events? The reason behind this is not just as simple as "rich and willful".
Hamad, "International Conference Lover"
Not long ago, Huanhuan pushed the story of the legendary Qatari Empress Dowager Moza.
The old man who left by elevator at the beginning of this article is none other than Empress Moza's husband, Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani (hereinafter referred to as Hamad). He reigned for 18 years and was one of the most illustrious emir in the history of Qatar. This World Cup was successfully bid during his tenure.
On December 2, 2010, when Qatar won the right to host the 2022 World Cup, Hamad and his wife Moza excitedly lifted the Hercules Cup.
Hamad's reign began dramatically: in 1995, while his father was on vacation in Switzerland, he staged a bloodless coup. "I don't really like what's happening, but it should happen and I have to." On the same day, Hamad explained the reason for the coup in this way.
The main contradiction between father and son is that they have different ideas about national development. Hamad is relatively broad-minded and advocates change. After he took office to form the cabinet, many young people in their 30s took up the lead of government agencies.
At that time, Qatar was facing macro problems such as a sluggish economy and an increase in the national fiscal deficit. In order to improve the situation of excessive dependence on oil resources, Hamad has vigorously promoted the diversification of Qatar's economy and industry.
For example, he strategically invested about $20 billion to build the port of Raslavan. Today, the port is the world's largest LNG exporter, and Qatar has maintained its position as the world's largest LNG producer and exporter for many years.
Huge ships transporting natural gas dock at the port of Las Lavan.
Hamad has also focused on the advancement of women. In March 1999, Qatar held its first elections to a central municipal council, announcing the granting of women's right to vote and to run for office, the first of its kind in the Gulf States.
But Hamad's tenure was most notable for his diplomatic strategy.
"When he (Hamad) landed at a foreign airport, the customs officer asked him: Qatar? Where is that? This shocked him. Bertrand Besancienau, the former French ambassador to Doha, recalled: "He wanted to make his country famous. ”
"Becoming famous" is about Qatar's security and development plans.
Qatar is a small "pocket country" with Saudi Arabia (hereinafter referred to as Saudi Arabia) and Iran respectively, which is both "the same origin" as Saudi Arabia and shares large natural gas fields with Iran, so it needs to seek survival space between the Gulf powers with complex relations.
To expand his influence, Hamad has led Qatar to actively engage in regional and international affairs: sending diplomats to support peace talks between the Sudanese government and factions in Darfur, mediating the conflict between Eritrea and Ethiopia, acting as a mediator between the United States and the Afghan Taliban...
In this way, Qatar has gradually assumed the role of "regional peace mediator" and has gained a place on the international political stage.
Hamad attended events during his reign.
It is worth noting that Qatar does not draw lines along ethnic, religious and ideological lines, does not blindly turn to major powers or follow allies, but proceeds from its own interests and develops friendly relations with all countries in the world. Some countries are like each other, but they can be included in Qatar's circle of friends, such as the United States and Iran.
Major international conferences held in Qatar, often ending with the Doha Declaration, have made the name of the Qatari capital go down in history time and again. Hamad has also been appraised by the Western media as an "international conference enthusiast" and "a rock star in diplomacy."
"Qatar uses diplomacy as an important way to enhance its soft power, hoping to go beyond the image of a 'small country' and get rid of its dependence on regional or international powers. Through its diplomatic good offices, Qatar has established its national image internationally. Ding Long, a professor at the Institute of Middle East Studies at Shanghai Overseas Chinese University, said.
Tamim, the record "post-80s"
In 2013, the 61-year-old Hamad voluntarily stepped down and announced the transfer of power to his son Tamim. In the Arab countries of the Gulf, where monarchs with real power usually rule for life, such transitions of power are rare.
Tamim was the second son of Hamad and Moza. Born in 1980, he became an emir at just 33 years old, the youngest national leader in an Arab country.
Tamim (right) with his father Hamad.
Influenced by his father, Tamim has a deep sports complex and was once named "the best sports figure in the Arab world" by the Egyptian media.
When he was crown prince, he served as chairman of the organizing committee of the 15th Doha Asian Games. Tian Wenlin, a professor at the School of International Relations of Chinese Minmin University, told Global People that this Asian Games is the first time it has been held in an Arab country, and it is also the first time in the history of the Asian Games that 45 countries and regions have participated, and Tamim's coordination ability can be seen.
As emir, Tamim worked tirelessly to develop sports.
In 2014, the Qatari team won the 22nd Gulf Cup final, Tamim awarded each member a Land Rover SUV and 2 million Qatari riyals (1 QARIYAL is about 1.96 yuan), and every Qatari fan who attended the event received 5200 Qatari riyals.
In order to better carry out the construction and development of the World Cup project, Qatar established the Supreme Council for Delivery and Heritage, chaired by Tamim. Qatar is currently investing about $229 billion, far more than the $11.6 billion of the 2018 World Cup in Russia and $15 billion in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
On July 15, 2018, in the presence of FIFA President Gianni Infantino (center), Tamim took over the football symbolizing the hosting of the 2022 World Cup from Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The first major test Tamim faced during his tenure took place in 2017. At that time, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt announced the severance of diplomatic relations with Qatar on the grounds that Qatar "undermines regional security" and imposed sanctions and blockades on it.
In the face of the crisis, Tamim responded with aplomb, reducing the negative impact by finding alternative trade routes and partners.
He used Qatar's rich natural gas to cultivate a complex web of friendships, and the then president of France, the king of Morocco, the German foreign minister and others have called for the lifting of the blockade of Qatar. On the military front, he has also worked with the United States, Russia and Turkey to secure more security for the weakened Qatar.
Tamim's diplomatic attitude is not tough, but he refuses to harm Qatar's core national interests, including severing diplomatic relations with Iran, closing Turkey's military base in Qatar, and closing Al Jazeera.
At the beginning of last year, Saudi Arabia and other countries announced the resumption of diplomatic relations with Qatar, and the crisis that lasted for nearly four years finally eased. Tamim proved what he was capable of. In Qatar, posters with a portrait of Tamim and the inscription "Glory to Tamim" can be found everywhere.
Qataris gather in front of Tamim's portrait to show support.
"The emil is certainly popular, but at first you can see people saying 'he's young' or 'he's inexperienced'. The blockade was a trial of fire, and he finally earned the respect of his subjects. A French businessman doing business in Doha said.
With the World Cup underway, Qatar's international image is expected to further improve. "Tamim is trying to put Qatar in a place where there are as few enemies as possible and as many friends as possible." Cinzia Bianco, visiting researcher at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said.
Mayasha, "Princess of Art"
Among Hamad and Moza's children is one who is considered "the most important buyer in the art market today." She is Tamim's sister Mayasha.
Mayasha inherited her mother's lavish style. Her annual budget for art is said to be $1 billion.
In 2012, Mayasha spent $250 million on French painter Cézanne's Card Player, setting the highest price for an art auction at the time. She also fought for a $100 million statue of Picasso against the world's top gallery Gagosian.
American artist Andy Warhol's "The Man in Her Life", Spanish artist Picasso's "The Child with a Dove", British painter Francis Bacon's "Lucian Freud Portrait Practice", French painter Paul Gauguin's "When did you get married?" 》...... Many world masterpieces have been included by Mayasha.
Mayasha likes to introduce herself as a civil servant – she officially heads the Qatar Museum's governing body. The big money spent on the art market is to increase the collection of the country's museums.
Mayasha outside the National Museum of Qatar.
In her 20s, Mayasha returned to Qatar after graduating from Columbia University. Her father sent her a task: to build an art museum of Islamic art.
As soon as Mayasha made her move, she invited the Chinese-American architect I.M. Pei to design a magnificent building with both geometric and Islamic styles.
Opened in 2008, the museum displays manuscripts, books and scientific instruments from Islamic civilization spanning more than 10 centuries.
Exterior view of the Museum of Islamic Art.
Since then, a series of museums have been built, highlighting Mayasha and Qatar's cultural ambitions.
This year, the Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum, known as one of the world's largest sports museums, opened, with exhibits including boxing gloves worn by boxer Ali when he won the 1960 Rome Olympics, and the car driven by legendary F1 driver Schumacher.
Exterior view of Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum.
Mayasha also introduced many artistic activities to Qatar. She founded the Doha Film Institute, a non-profit cultural organization, to support the development of Arab cinema. In 2012, she held her first solo exhibition in the Middle East for Japanese artist Takashi Murakami.
"Qatar sees itself as part of the Islamic world and wants to be a bridge between Islamic culture and the world's culture. It introduces Eastern and Western art not only to influence Qataris, but to create an image of charismatic, attractive and even leadership in the Islamic world. Liu Xinlu, dean of the School of Arabia at Beijing University of Foreign Chinese, said.
Asked if Doha would be as important in global art and culture decades from now as London, New York and Paris, Mayasha replied: "It's possible." Why not? ”