England for 2018 - Qatar for 2022
Partner and Managing Director - Cornerstone Global Associates Ltd
Former Director of Communications at Britain's Foreign Office
On 13th September 2010
Ever since leaving the British Foreign Office, it has been liberating to explore more fully more than one nation’s foreign policy, and – where possible- spot opportunities to support a foreign policy for more than one country, and sometimes a whole region.
The Football World Cup is such an opportunity. On Thursday 2nd December, the world has the chance to back Europe for 2018 (so support England), and back the Middle East for 2022 (therefore support Qatar). As an Englishman, supporting England as World Cup hosts is about as interesting as a newspaper story about a man biting a dog. But everybody likes stories of the underdog, especially one who goes on to win. Qatar deserves our support, because its time has come, and what is good for Qatar is good for the Middle East and world football.
When the team of FIFA inspectors visits Qatar this week, it should take into account four critical criteria, which all support Qatar as a serious contender, if not as the winning bid. The four criteria are: principles, practicalities, passion and potential.
Principles: Qatar is a country with a population of only 1.3 million, but football is not about numbers but quality of commitment. Qatar punches above its weight, and is of strategic importance to the whole region.
If Qatar were the host, it would be a first for the Middle East- a first which is long overdue. Precisely because of Qatar’s small size, the benefits would spill over if Qatar were successful. Other Arab and Gulf countries stand to gain- including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Jordan and Egypt. The Middle East brand is often too narrowly- and misleadingly- associated with oil and conflict. A Qatar win will enhance the region’s brand, for business, culture and sport.
Practicalities: One consideration for FIFA is access: Qatar has very good transport links to the rest of the world- with a substantial new airport to open in two years time. Once in Qatar, fans and media get to watch more than one match a day in the same city. Players focus on the game, rather than have to travel to different places. But one concern is temperature: Qatar is developing cutting-edge, clean technology to ensure that the outdoor weather is climate-controlled. Qatar is “cool”, in more than one sense of the word.
Passion: For a World Cup host to be successful, passion needs to come from the ground-up, not just from the top-down. Football is by far the most popular game in the Middle East. Football is Qatar’s favourite sport, along with horse-racing. Compared to other states in the region, Qatar is passionate about soccer, and its football league is very active on a per capita basis.
Potential: Because of Qatar’s size, its win will be more widely shared amongst the region than if a bigger country won. Any calculation of Qatar’s value needs to build in a multiplier effect internally and externally. Qatar is a nation that rises to the challenge of growth, and can share the benefits of its success.
Qatar has a strong and distinctive case, but the ball is far from being in the net: other Arab countries need to rally around and clearly demonstrate their support, and one country’s opportunity needs to be seen as a shared one by a growing number of observers and supporters
For comments or further information, please email contact@cstoneglobal.com
Published by Qatar's Gulf Times