High Praise from Europe

Qatar has enjoyed fruitful bilateral relationships with numerous European countries for some time. The links serve to boost dialogue and understanding between east and west, to enhance political cooperation, and to build mutual economic ties. Winning the bid to host the World Cup 2022 has given Qatar the chance to build on and strengthen those relationships using the uniting power of football. The World Cup that Qatar is building has created a host of new opportunities for countries to work together, sharing ideas, knowledge and resources. It has also provided the opportunity for other nations to see the Middle East in a new light, to understand the region better, and to see the host nation performing at its best.

Over the last week, Qatar has received high praise from its European friends for the progress of its World Cup preparations, its effective management of those preparations, and its ability to steer the event, not only to showcase Qatar and create benefits for the local people but to develop and strengthen its relationships with the world at large.

Indeed, at a meeting with the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, the Belgian Ambassador to Qatar praised the organisers. He spoke of his admiration at the speed at which infrastructure related to the tournament had been built. He also praised the impressive and successful integration of so many projects at once. The Ambassador, Bart De Groof, is in a good position to judge progress having been living in Qatar for the last three years. He has watched first hand several of the new stadiums reaching completion, as well as the constructions of the new Metro system and a host of new highways.

Similarly, in France this week, at the inauguration of a World Cup Stadiums exhibition at the National Sports Museum in Nice, the city's Mayor Christian Estrosi voiced his admiration for the ongoing World Cup preparations. He also declared that the success of the preparations to date was strong evidence that the 2022 tournament will be legendary and exceptional by all standards.

The exhibition in Nice is part of the ongoing activities of the Qatar-France Year of Culture 2020. The Year of Culture is a cultural exchange programme that aims, through a variety of exhibitions, festivals, competitions and events, to promote a mutual understanding, recognition and appreciation between countries, celebrating their cultural similarities, as well as their differences. Over the last eight years, Qatar has worked with Japan, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Turkey, China, Germany, Russia, India, and, of course, France.

During the inauguration of the stadiums' exhibition, Mary Grasse, the director of the Sports Museum, also praised Qatar's development as an international sports hub in recent years. She also commended the nation for its use of sports as a means of developing relations, strengthening friendships and creating an exchange with countries and peoples of the world.

Whoever wins the 2022 World Cup tournament, anyone watching Qatar through the preparations and delivery of the event must surely come away with a new appreciation of this determined and tenacious little nation.