"Circle Time Depth" Arab countries share the highlights of the World Cup

Source: Global Times

[Global Times special correspondent in Egypt Huang Peizhao, Shi Taoli, Global Times special correspondent Zhen Xiang] "[Qatar] is not well-known and has been ridiculed. Hassan Tawadi, secretary general of Qatar's Supreme Council for Delivery and Inheritance, recently told Al Jazeera about the 2010 World Cup bid, saying that at that time, the international football community did not take Qatar seriously, and that the idea of Arab countries hosting the biggest sporting event was purely fanciful and impossible. But now, Qatar has made the impossible possible, with 440 million Arab countries and fans around the world celebrating the sporting event. Although this is the first time that Arab countries have hosted this major sporting event since the emergence of the 1930 World Cup, these countries' "fate" with football has lasted for almost a century. In 2022, Arab countries are writing their new history with football.

"Nothing is impossible!"

Fans gathered at a café in the northwestern Syrian city of Idlib to watch the match after Saudi Arabia beat favourites Argentina 2-1 at the World Cup in Qatar on November 22. Ahmed Absi is an Argentine fan. Although his favorite team lost, he said the Saudi victory was encouraging, both for Syrians and Muslims across the Middle East, "It shows that we have talented people who can achieve on the global stage... As Arabs, we want a better future. This (the victory of the Saudi team) tells us that nothing is impossible! ”

From Qatar to Saudi Arabia, Egypt to Bangladesh, Saudi victories have left fans in Islamic countries in the Middle East and the rest of the world boiling. Fans from Morocco, Tunisia and other Middle Eastern countries who attended the match immediately poured into the streets of Doha and "occupied" almost all the local scenic spots. They waved Saudi flags, sang and danced. In Amman, Jordan's capital, drivers honk their car's horns in celebration. In Gaza, Palestinian residents cheered, saying they had witnessed the glory moment of a football match with Saudi Arabia. People in Yemen, Kuwait, Sudan, Iraq and other countries were also so excited that they even "beat the gong and drum" to share with the Saudis "a day that makes Arabs proud".

On the day Saudi Arabia won the match, Tunisia drew with the higher-ranked Denmark. Morocco then also drew with Croatia. Qatar became the first Middle Eastern country to host the World Cup, and the outstanding performance of the teams of these countries strengthened the confidence and unity of the people of the region, and also made their national pride burst instantly. "It's good to see an Arab country hosting the World Cup... I'm proud. Mohammed, a government employee in Riyadh, the Saudi capital, said. Aliah, a senior researcher at the Hudson Institute in the United States, said that the Saudi team's victory over Argentina sent a message to everyone, that is, "Arabs can win!" ”。 Saudi Arabia News Network bluntly said that hosting the World Cup is not only a success for Qatar, but also for the entire region. "The World Cup in Qatar has focused the world's attention on Arab countries, which usually only appear in the news in the event of conflict, war and bloodshed, and now they have entered a highlight moment." The Egyptian news network "Masrawi" wrote.

This World Cup unites not only the people of the Middle East, but also governments. In 2017, many Gulf countries led by Saudi Arabia announced the severance of diplomatic relations with Qatar on the grounds that Qatar undermined the regional security situation, and began to impose an embargo and blockade on Qatar. In 2021, the relevant lockdowns and embargoes were lifted. However, according to the Financial Times on November 28, the relationship between Qatar and Bahrain was still tense, and the UAE was unwilling to fully restore normal relations with Doha. But Qatar's call to "make the World Cup a tournament that unites all peoples" has been welcomed by Gulf leaders, who fully support their neighbors. The Saudi crown prince last week instructed all ministries and government agencies in the country to "provide whatever support and facilities Qatar requires" to help Doha host the World Cup successfully.

The Saudi crown prince also watched the opening match of the World Cup with the Emir of Qatar (head of state). During the Qatar match against Ecuador, the Saudi crown prince also draped a Qatari flag over his body. In the Saudi team against Argentina, the Emir of Qatar also wrapped a Saudi flag around his neck. These will be important moments for this World Cup. In addition, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi met and shook hands warmly on the sidelines of the opening ceremony of the World Cup, which is a sign of the thaw in relations between the two countries.

The Palestinian cause also received enthusiastic support during the competition. "Wherever you go (in Qatar), you see the Palestinian flag because we want to remind the world that Palestinians are not alone." Aimin from Tunisia told Al Jazeera. Asma, who watched Qatar vs Ecuador match, said her family were waving Palestinian flags in the stadium because they felt it was their duty as Muslims to promote the Palestinian cause to the world. The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) is grateful for the solidarity of these fans. Qatar's Al Jazeera said that the World Cup is expected to become a watershed in Arab relations, and diplomatic and political interaction between countries may enter a new period.

The Arabs have "much more than "Fantasy Nights"

Modern football has been coming to the Middle East for almost a century and is closely linked to the political situation in the region. According to the New York Times and other media reports, British and French officials introduced football to the then colonial Middle Eastern countries, by emphasizing the organization and regularity of the sport to cultivate local people's obedience to the metropolis. Doha Stadium was once the first turf football stadium built by British colonists in the Gulf.

However, in the subsequent anti-colonial movement for national independence, football played an important role in organizing protests, building political parties, and strengthening national identity. Jordan's annual football tournament, which emerged in the mid-40s of the 20th century, helped cement the country's national identity. In 1958, Algeria's National Liberation Front (FLN) formed an exile football team as part of a rebellion against French colonial rule. This team played against other national teams even before Algeria's independence. Qatar's national league appeared in 1963, 8 years before the country's independence (1971).

For the World Cup, host Qatar said it offered an opportunity to dispel misunderstandings about Qatar as well as Islamic countries. Hassan al-Tawadi, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for Delivery and Legacy of Qatar, called on the world to come to Qatar to witness history, abandon Western stereotypes of Islamic countries, and recognize that Arabs have much more than "Heavenly Nights" (aka "One Thousand and One Nights"). Al Jazeera said that for a long time, Europe and the United States have dominated the definition of what is "good" with their own "imagination" and determined how the "other" in the East is represented. This World Cup will present a different Islamic world and football from the Western portrayal, promoting the decolonization of the sports narrative. The Gulf Times said that this World Cup will help the outside world better understand Qatar and the Middle East, and promote the concept of coexistence and tolerance globally.

Some in the Middle East see the World Cup as an opportunity to counter Western neocolonialism and unmask its hypocrisy. Since Qatar won the right to host the World Cup in 2010, Western countries have questioned Doha's ability and "qualification" to host the event. Just before the opening of the World Cup, many Western media, including CNN, criticized Qatar for its lack of tolerance for sexual minorities, insufficient protection of women's rights, and abuse of migrant workers.

In this regard, the "Middle East Proverb" newspaper said that the West attacked Qatar not because of concerns about human rights and other issues in the country, but because this World Cup was held in Islamic countries, which is racist and very despicable. The West is trying to impose its values and morals on an Arab country. Harman, a columnist for Morocco's World News Network, wrote that most of the attacks on Qatar by Western media have nothing to do with human rights issues in the country. Once the World Cup is over, the West will turn a blind eye to the rights and interests of Qatari migrant workers and sexual minorities, which highlights the hypocrisy of the Western media. Other media said that the above-mentioned anti-Qatari remarks showed "Western-centrism".

FIFA President Gianni Gianni Infantino has defended Qatar over accusations made by Western media. He bluntly said that for what Europe has done in the world in the past 3,000 years, Western countries will have to continue to apologize for 3,000 years. Infantino's statement was besieged by the Guardian and other British and American media. CNN said the discord sparked by this particular event, combined with "questionable" PR responses such as Infantino, at a time when the Western-dominated "liberal order" was facing unprecedented challenges, gave a glimpse that established global power centers were being shaken, a geopolitical trend. Abdullah, a political science professor who lives in Dubai, said bluntly on Twitter that Middle Eastern countries are not only prosperous and stable, but also organize world-class events and compete with the best teams, "We have the best of everything - so neo-colonialists and Western hypocrites are jealous!" ”

Forecast: 5.2% economic growth this year

Qatar spent more than $220 billion to host the World Cup, five times the cost of the previous seven World Cups combined. So with so much money, what does Qatar hope to achieve?

Saleh, a professor of political science at Cairo University in Egypt, said in an interview with the Global Times on the 28th: "The World Cup is an important opportunity for the host country to promote, promote and even popularize its own national culture, which is also one of the main reasons why many countries in the world have bid for the World Cup." Qatar is no exception, and it is an opportunity to promote Arab culture and values. ”

In fact, Qatar has done its homework to promote Islamic culture this time, such as the opening ceremony of the World Cup that began with the recitation of the Quran. In the restaurants where fans stay, there are QR codes dedicated to introducing people to Islam. At the same time, the mascot of this World Cup, Raib, has a strong and distinct Islamic cultural identity, and its design is inspired by the traditional clothing of Arab men. Saleh says it's a sign of cultural confidence.

In addition to promoting Islamic culture, the World Cup will bring short- and long-term economic benefits to Qatar and other Arab countries. According to consultancy Fitch Solutions, the World Cup and its preparations will allow Qatar's economic growth rate to reach 5.2% this year, more than three times that of last year's (1.5%). Imad Amade, director of the Cairo Liberation Research Center, told the Global Times that Qatar's money is mainly spent on infrastructure construction such as venues and roads, which are necessary for national development. A good national image can effectively attract foreign investment, which is even more important for Qatar's long-term economic development.

Iyad, a consultant at InStrat, an independent research and consulting platform in Doha, Qatar, told Al-monitor, a U.S.-based Middle East news website, that the World Cup will be an important milestone on Qatar's road to economic diversification. This economy is not only open, but also embedded in the center of the entire international community and system. The US magazine "National Interest" said that Qatar is expected to become a new "investment center". The country recently made its debut in a Global Confidence Index ranking, ranking 24th. Saudi Arabia's Economic News said that the Doha World Cup will bring long-term positive economic impact to Arab countries, including Qatar, especially Qatar, which tastes the sweetness, will increase the proportion of its service industry, tourism and financial industry in the economy in the future, and try to change its economic structure that is overly dependent on oil and gas.

"Qatar has positioned its World Cup from the outset as an opportunity to build bridges between the Arab and Western worlds." Ayad said the World Cup will enhance Doha's soft power and political influence, which will benefit the entire Gulf region, "in terms of unique selling points in terms of investment, tourism, business, etc., the perception of the region is often that the soft power assets of the Gulf are shared, or at least complementary."

In fact, the short-term economic benefits of the World Cup have spilled over to other Gulf countries. According to the Middle East Monitor on November 21, more than 2 million people are expected to travel to Qatar to watch the World Cup, and Qatar has added flights to and from Doha from many cities in the Gulf region to ease the local accommodation pressure. These will contribute to the uptick in the operating performance of aviation, hospitality and tourism in other Gulf countries.