QNA
Doha
The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 has provided an opportunity to introduce Qatari and Arab culture, as well as the national identity of the State of Qatar, to the world. Citizens and residents have joined hands with the authorities concerned and various entities to present a civilized and cultured image of the State of Qatar to the football fans who came to Qatar to cheer on their teams.
The generous Qatari hospitality has provided the World Cup fans with the opportunity to get acquainted with the authentic Qatari customs and traditions up and close and to try popular dishes. On the streets, the fans coming from stadiums are greeted, with water, juices and dates, helping create a positive impression on them.
The cultural events held in the Cultural Village Foundation (Katara), Darb Al Saai and Souq Waqif have played a major role in introducing the masses to the marine and other heritage that Qatar is proud of. The Qatari outfit, especially the ghutra and the headband, has become the undisputed "star of the World Cup”, as fans were keen to wear it in public places and in the stadiums during matches.
The success of the World Cup in introducing the Qatari and Arab culture, as well as the customs and traditions of Qatar, to the masses was confirmed by cultural officials and intellectuals as they spoke with Qatar News Agency (QNA), explaining that the event was not just a sports tournament, but rather a great sport, cultural and civilizational forum.
Maryam Yassin Al-Hammadi, director of the Culture and Arts Department at the Ministry of Culture, said that cultural diplomacy is a soft power that includes the exchange of ideas, information, art, language and other aspects of culture between countries and peoples in order to enhance mutual understanding and create influence. Cultural diplomacy plays an important role in achieving unity and solidarity, not at the local community level, but at the global level, she said.
She added that the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 created a unique opportunity for all the nationalities to arrive in Qatar, to live a unique sporting experience wrapped in a unique cultural experience, thereby learning about Qatari culture and the traditions of Arab and Muslim societies. This contributed to building bridges of understanding, and correcting misconceptions and stereotypes that some may promote, she noted.
She continued: "The cultural events held on the sidelines of the tournament played an important role in introducing local, Arab and Islamic culture to the fans. This also increased the youth’s pride in their culture and will certainly compel them to preserve their cultures, helping them turn their Identity concerns into strength.”
Al-Hammadi said that the World Cup will leave a notable impact in the country through the development of services, such as the metro services, and infrastructure such as stadiums, parks and gardens. This will also help strengthen tourism in the country in the coming days, she said.
Theatre critic Dr Hassan Rashid said that introduction of Qatari and Arab culture, as well as the distinguished Qatari hospitality, to the world was a process integrated with the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, helping Qatar present a civilized image.
"I think everybody will praise us for the way we dealt with the fans who came to watch the World Cup matches,” he said, noting that the image that some had of the region was somewhat distorted. What they witnessed in the country during the tournament will undoubtedly change that image, he said.
Dr Hassan Rashid added: "We can say that we presented Qatari arts and heritage everywhere in order to inform these masses about it, including at Souq Waqif, Katara, Lusail, Darb Al-Saai and other cultural hubs. There were songs related to Qatari and Gulf folklore, such as the Omani songs presented at the cultural festival in Katara. This is in addition to presenting the arts related to the past, especially those related to maritime activity. Of course, this gave them a clearer picture of the progress that our region has achieved.”
A journalist, Abdullah Faraj Al-Marzouqi, said that the World Cup fans who came to Qatar were deeply impressed by the morals and customs of the Qatari society and the good treatment they received.
He added, "We saw many of the fans masses attending the events, and they were impressed by Qatari hospitality. Some of them have tried to learn more about the authentic Qatari customs, and this has positively affected the behaviour of these masses over the course of the tournament.”
"We did not see any departure from the script in any stadium or even away from the stadiums, which confirms that the fans were influenced by the morals, customs and culture of Qataris and residents of this good land. We used to see many citizens receiving fans after they left the stadiums with water, dates, coffee and fruits, and this was an expression of hospitality, love and tolerance, which have been instilled from time to time in Qatari society. When those masses see these customs, of course, they will return to their country with positive messages about the culture of this host country and its people,” he added.