Khalid Al Tawalbeh
Doha
With the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 in its second week, the many successes Qatar has achieved while hosting the first edition of the tournament anywhere in the Arab world, are evident.
Also evident is the fact that Qatar has kept its promise to organise a unique and distinct edition of the World Cup.
The distinguishing features of this tournament include exemplary Qatari hospitality, a large number of volunteers to guide and assist the guests, excellent fan residences, stadiums in close proximity along with and superb transport, and unique entertainment shows to keep the fans engaged in their spare time.
The other hallmarks of this edition are top-notch security and safety, the spirit of love, peace, brotherhood and a host of cultural events that highlight the Arab culture and Islamic heritage to the huge gathering of people from all over the world.
Talking to Qatar Tribune, a group of ambassadors praised the great successes achieved by the state of Qatar in delivering this special edition of the World Cup as promised.
The ambassadors said that they were happy to Qatar become the first country in the region to host a FIFA World Cup and noted that it has worked hard to ensure that every visitor enjoys the tournament as well as the hospitality of its people.
Underlining the importance of seeing the international community coming together to enjoy football here in Qatar, they pointed out that the spirit of sports and the respect of players and fans seen here exemplify the “best that the world can be today”.
Pointing out that sport has rules which everyone should abide by, they called upon the fans from all countries to visit Qatar and experience its rich culture and hospitality and at the same time asked them to respect the laws and the culture of the host.
Ambassador of Jordan
The Ambassador of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to the State of Qatar, HE Zaid Mufleh Al-Lozi, stressed that the arrangements and equipment seen in Qatar are unprecedented and represent an achievement not only for the country, but also for the game and the tournament.
It will leave a distinctive legacy for Arabs and the world, and everyone will benefit from it. This is true for everything from infrastructure and equipment to organisational arrangements. The facilities created to facilitate the attendance of fans and their movement, and tourist projects and cultural centres will continue to attract visitors long into the future,he said.
He stressed that the sites hosting cultural and entertainment events accompanying the championship have a role no less important than that of the tournament itself. They have proven to be a big draw for the football fans at the 2022 World Cup with the participation of the world’s brightest stars. These areas, like Lusail Boulevard, to name just one, will become a tourist destinations in future.
He reminded of the distinguished Jordanian presence during the World Cup reflected in their cultural performances, presence of fans from the country at stadiums to encourage and support Arab teams, and the active participation of the highly disciplined Jordanian force to secure the championship.
The Jordanian ambassador concluded that Jordan has been and will continue to be a major supporter of all brothers in the region and will spare no effort to achieve this.
Ambassador of Ethiopia
Ambassador of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia to Qatar HE Feisel Aliyi Abrahim stressed that this edition of the World Cup is the most special ever. He praised the wonderful activities and events as well as the hospitality offered by Qatar, which together make this edition unique in its excellence.
“Qatar has proven its competence in delivering the best World Cup ever,” he said adding that the huge turnout at the tourist and entertainment areas, fans’ areas and popular events confirms an exceptional experience.
He also praised the wonderful security arrangements and the equally wonderful Qatari hospitality seen in every corner of the country.
In response to a question on the accusations against Qatar, he said: “Those who campaigned for a boycott of the World Cup, making baseless and blatant accusations, have been proved wrong. The stadiums are working at full capacity and the fans are having a wonderful experience never experienced before.”
Ambassador of Tunisia
HE Nehro El-Arabi, the Tunisian charge d’affaires in Qatar, praised the wonderful way in which the World Cup is being organised and the progress of the events. “I think when the World Cup is finally behind us we will remember that it as a great success for all of us.”
He stressed that Qatar has done an exceptional job and has shown the world its ability to successfully hold major international football events. He told Qatar Tribune, that Qatar has invested a lot to ensure that the participating teams train and play in a comfortable environment.“In fact with its eight spectacular stadiums and all artistic activities during the tournament, the spectators coming from all around the word discovered the efforts made by Qatar to make this happen”, he said.
“The grand success of the opening ceremony was an apt response to and vivid refutation of the scepticism and campaigns unleashed against the capabilities of Qatar, Arabs in general, to organise this global event,” he added.
He said that the environmentally friendly and sustainable technologies used during the championship will be a starting point for achieving Qatar National Vision 2030.
He expressed his happiness with the hospitality received by the Tunisian national team participating in Qatar 2022, stressing that football fans are having lots of fun inside and outside the stadiums, as Qatar has many cultural and tourist attractions. He underlined that hosting one of the largest sporting events has a great meaning in introducing the culture and history of an individual around the world.Since this is the first World Cup to be held in the Middle East, fans visiting Qatar from all over the world have the chance to experience Islamic culture first hand.
“Our Tunisian fans are really pleased to attend the matches and share their happiness with our Qatari brothers and all the Arab communities living here.” He concluded thanking Qatar for delivering an exceptional World Cup.
Qatar’s success in organising a unique edition of the World Cup is not something strange or unlikely for a country, given the fact that it has accumulated a long experience in organising global events. It is now looking forward to hosting the Asian Cup in 2023 and the Asian Games in 2030.A number of envoys in Doha express their admiration for the way Qatar has delivered an exemplary World Cup
