As we are approaching the closing ceremony of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, we are reminded of the opening ceremony, which was held on November 20 at Al Bayt Stadium and captured the attention of local, Gulf and international media which described it as historic. Thanks to the unprecedented preparation, organization and fascination witnessed during the opening of the tournament will remain alive in memory as one of the most prominent tournaments in the world.
Before the start of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, the Western media launched an unprecedented campaign against Qatar intended to discourage people from traveling to attend the matches in Qatar, but all these did not work, rather contrary to what they wanted, the world was dazzled by the services provided by the State of Qatar and the organization that made it easy for people to move freely and enjoy an unprecedented festive atmosphere.
With the end of the competition approaching many agencies began to evaluate this experience and its implications, and among these is the Gulf Sports Media Federation (GSMF) which held a Symposium entitled “Impact of Qatar hosting the World Cup” yesterday.
A number of GCC journalists said that ‘Qatar has presented an outstanding model in hosting FIFA World Cup by demonstrating the ability of Gulf region and Arab countries to host major sporting events’.
Speaking at a symposium organized by GSMF, speakers stressed that the ‘FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 has also set new benchmarks for future events, according to a panel of GCC journalists speaking yesterday at a discussion on the impact of Qatar hosting the World Cup’. In line with the aims of the panel discussion which intends to draw lessons from the experience of Qatar hosting the World Cup, the panellist focused on several areas including, benefits gained by Gulf media from the World Cup in Qatar; extend of Gulf media coverage of all kind keeping pace with the global event witnessed by the region; the impact of the global media presence in Qatar on the gulf media; and media reflections of the World Cup on the upcoming events that the Gulf countries will witness. The speakers also highlighted what the State of Qatar has delivered on major infrastructure projects and presented the fans with iconic stadiums, advanced technology, exceptional fan experience and all facilities including an efficient transport system.
Such events, which aim to benefit from this pioneering experience in this region, are important moves that will push the sports media to play further greater roles in the future.
