Follow us on social

2022-11-21t000000z_1238774949_mt1abcpr832402001_rtrmadp_3_abaca-press-2-scaled

Has the World Cup brought the region closer together?

Saudi, Emirati, and Qatari leaders meeting in Doha, as they did last month, would have been unthinkable just a few years ago.

Analysis | Middle East

United Arab Emirates President Mohammed bin Zayed, widely known as MbZ, and Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman, or MbS, met with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim, during the World Cup in Doha. Their presence in Qatar illustrated the Gulf region’s new environment as a convivial meeting in Doha between these three leaders would have been inconceivable amid the Gulf Cooperation Council’s 2017-21 crisis.

Only five-and-a-half years ago, the United States was worried about possible Saudi military operations against Qatar, prompting then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to call MbS (in a phone conversation that “didn’t go very well”) to warn him against taking such military action. Washington officials were so concerned that they even sent drones to the Qatari-Saudi border to monitor the tense situation.

Last month, the sight of MbS sporting a scarf with the colors of the Qatari flag and the Qatari leader carrying a Saudi flag during Saudi Arabia’s match against Argentina was remarkable, to say the least.

Although the problems that Qatar had with some of its fellow GCC states have not been entirely resolved, intra-Gulf relations are now much warmer. There is real potential for the GCC to start a new chapter based on brotherly ties which the World Cup appears to have accelerated.

“It is clear that it has strengthened bonds between people across the six countries—or at least, revitalized bonds, following a period of tension,” said Neil Quilliam, an associate fellow in the Middle East and North Africa program at the London-based think tank Chatham House, in an interview with Responsible Statecraft. “Sport is very good at generating the sentiment of belonging — at club, country, and even regional levels. The World Cup in Qatar has certainly spurred on a shared sense of belonging amongst my Khaleeji friends and colleagues and pride in the region's success at staging the competition.”

The International Media

Negative Western media coverage of Qatar, both before and during the global event, led to a united response from GCC governments and their people.

“There is a lot of resentment among the public [in GCC countries] to the way that certain Western media have dealt with [issues pertaining to the World Cup being held in Qatar] and ignored the other human rights issues—whether it is migrants coming from the Middle East to Europe, their treatment in Europe, the Palestinian issue or other human rights issues...They ignored all of that and they focused all their attention on Qatar. That was seen as totally unfair and a double standard from many people within Qatar and the region,” Abdullah Baabood, an Omani scholar and visiting professor at Waseda University in Tokyo, told Responsible Statecraft.

Last month, the GCC’s six members unanimously rejected what they called a “malicious” media campaign against Qatar. “Given that the criticism levied against Qatar points to violations that are widespread among – and common to all GCC states, it was only natural that Gulf states would choose to support Qatar,” Mira Al Hussein, an Emirati postdoctoral researcher at Oxford University, told Responsible Statecraft.

“After all, other Gulf states will be hosting global events, too, and they would surely not want to be subject to the same level of scrutiny and criticism. That said, witnessing the overwhelming and unsolicited support that Qatar has received from Arabs and Muslims worldwide will have certainly triggered some reflection on how to maximize state popularity and garner support,” added Al Hussein.

Quilliam explained that this uniform response constituted an “outright rejection of Western media coverage as orientalist, colonialist, and former powers rueing their loss of influence.” As Doha’s fellow GCC capitals see it, “Qatar has gained much credit for unashamedly sticking to its values, celebrating its culture and demonstrating its capability of running a major world sporting event.”

State-to-State Relations

The political consequences of Qatar hosting the World Cup along with its attendance by MbZ and MbS are difficult, if not impossible, to predict at this stage. Although, from the standpoint of GCC unity and cohesion, this global event and such visits are positive, one must consider that intra-GCC relations have historically been in constant flux.

In an interview with Responsible Statecraft, David Roberts, an associate professor at King’s College London, warned against reading too much into the photos of Tamim with MbZ and MbS. “You need to have a historical lobotomy to think that therefore now everything is fine. GCC unity has been a constant ebb and flow for decades if not centuries. So, while things are comparatively quiet now, that’s well and good. But if history’s any guide, you don’t know how long it’ll last.”

To be sure, there remains significant tension between Bahrain and Qatar notwithstanding the al-Ula summit of January 2021 which officially ended the second GCC crisis. The absence of the Bahraini leadership at the global event underscored this point.

“The World Cup seems to have broken down any unremaining invisible barriers between the leaders of the two countries. MbS' wearing of the Qatari scarf at the tournament sent a strong signal to Saudis that the rift is over, and reconciliation is more or less complete. However, a few issues still separate Doha and Riyadh,” explained Quilliam.

Indeed, Doha is far from being on the same page as Abu Dhabi and Riyadh when it comes to numerous questions in the region. “There are still some lingering issues between [the UAE and Qatar] that have been resolved despite the signing of the al-Ula agreement and there are also some deep suspicions between the two countries,” according to Baabood. “This will take some time though one can say that the relationship is much warmer than before. There have been exchanges of visits between the leaders of both countries. We’ve seen recently MbZ visiting Qatar and meeting with the Emir. So that’s really an indication that this relationship is warming up.”

“MbZ's visit to Doha was more symbolic than substantive,” noted Quilliam, “and while a step in the right direction, the two leaders continue to share different visions for the region's future.”

Al Hussein shares a sense of cautious optimism about what the World Cup can do for the future of GCC unity. “I don't think that the World Cup has necessarily strengthened the GCC internally as a cooperative bloc; rather it has projected an image of unity that could potentially work in the region's favor.”

Given the World Cup’s global significance and the pride that Qatar’s hosting engendered across the Gulf, there appears to be a real opportunity for the region’s leaders, in addition to healing past wounds, to promote greater integration, coordination, and solidarity under a shared Gulf Arab identity.

Bader al-Saif, an assistant professor of history at Kuwait University, told Responsible Statecraft that the World Cup is a reminder to GCC leaders that strength lies in unity. “A pan-Gulf identity precedes the creation of the GCC. It is anchored in shared blood and destiny that has long tied the people of the region together. A Khaleeji identity is here to stay and evolve. Bringing together the best of all Gulf states will achieve what no one state can accomplish on its own.”


Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Tani poses with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, also known as MBS (left), at the opening ceremony, on first day of FIFA-World Cup Qatar 2022, in Doha, Qatar on November 20, 2022. Photo by Balkis Press/ABACAPRESS.COM
Analysis | Middle East
Stars are aligned for Trump's troop withdrawal from Syria
Top photo credit: U.S. military forces walk toward their next coordination along the demarcation line outside Manbij, Syria, July 18, 2018. The U.S. and Turkish militaries conducted these patrols to help reinforce the safety and stability in Manbij. (U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Timothy R. Koster)

Stars are aligned for Trump's troop withdrawal from Syria

Middle East

The blitzkrieg offensive which ousted Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad in December 2024 has sparked an explosive political and military reaction across the country.

Al-Qaeda offshoot Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) seized Damascus, Israel extended its occupation in southern Syria, and Turkey launched fresh military operations targeting the secular, multi-ethnic, Kurdish-led federation in North and East Syria (NES), where the U.S. has long maintained a military presence with boots on the ground, justified by its anti-ISIS mission.

keep readingShow less
Donald Trump
Top image credit: President Donald Trump speaks to the media following the White House Easter Egg Roll in Washington, D.C., on April 21, 2025. President Trump speaks about Secretary of Defense Hegseth, the Pope's death, and the situation in Ukraine and Iran. (Photo by Andrew Leyden/NurPhoto) VIA REUTERS

Ukraine and Europe can't afford to refuse Trump's peace plan

Europe

Most of the peace plan for Ukraine now sketched out by the Trump administration is not new, is based on common sense, and has indeed already been tacitly accepted by Kyiv.

Ukrainian officials have acknowledged that its army has no chance in the foreseeable future of reconquering the territories now occupied by Russia. Vice President J.D. Vance’s statement that the U.S. plan would “freeze the territorial lines…close to where they are today” simply acknowledges an obvious fact.

keep readingShow less
Michael O'Hanlon, Jack Keane, Michele Flournoy
Top photo credit: Michael O’Hanlon (DoD Photo by U.S. Army Sgt. James K. McCann), Ret. General Jack Keane (White House photo) and Michele Flournoy (CNAS/Flickr)

Could a Blobby enclave be sowing chaos at DoD?

Military Industrial Complex

UPDATE 4/26, 5:25 AM: The Defense Policy Board website has been scrubbed, and members later dismissed, reports The Wall Street Journal and Intercept. The list of the now former DPB members can still be viewed on an archived version of the website.


Discussing alleged Pentagon leaks with Tucker Carlson on Monday, recently ousted DoD official and Iraq war veteran Dan Caldwell charged that there are a number of career staff in the Pentagon who oppose the current administration’s policies. He then took particular aim at the the Defense Policy Board as a potential source of ongoing leaks to the press.

keep readingShow less

LATEST

QIOSK

Newsletter

Subscribe now to our weekly round-up and don't miss a beat with your favorite RS contributors and reporters, as well as staff analysis, opinion, and news promoting a positive, non-partisan vision of U.S. foreign policy.