Global pitch: The World Cup, Gulf Arab states, and the Middle East’s losing sides
The World Cup in Qatar, with all its money and glitz, shines a light on the disconnect between winners and losers in the Middle East
The World Cup in Qatar, with all its money and glitz, shines a light on the disconnect between winners and losers in the Middle East
Hosting the World Cup is the ultimate ‘soft power coup’. But Qatar could find the investment may not be worth the return
Heightened conflict in Ukraine could have serious consequences for European interests in the Middle East and North Africa. It could further disrupt energy supplies, exacerbate food insecurity, and help states in the region gain leverage over the US and Europe.
Qatar’s position as a major mediator has its roots in the early 2000s-then the country developed relations with all Islamists linked to the Muslim Brotherhood
Since the ‘90s Qatar has managed to be a place where different entities could coexist, then offering itself as useful mediator with the international community, and especially with the US
Qatar has this mediating role because it hosts Hamas’ political leadership, which after its expulsion from Turkey has nowhere to go, unless it wants to go back to Gaza or move to Iran
Qatar has developed in the past twenty years its own international projection, but I’m afraid it’s not going to be able to untangle the situation. Perhaps Egypt could play a decisive role.
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