(Riyadh) The looming World Cup in Qatar is a chance for the Gulf countries to put an end to certain “prejudices” and to present themselves “in a different light”, said Thursday Gianni Infantino, the president of the Fifa.
Posted at 1:51 p.m.
The competition, which begins on November 20, is a first, since never has a country in the Arab world hosted an edition of the World Cup since its creation in 1930.
It is “an opportunity for Qatar and for the whole region (of the Gulf, editor’s note) to present itself to the world in a different light, in a different way, and to get rid once and for all, I think, of certain prejudices that unfortunately still exist,” he said.
The world football boss was speaking via video link at an investor conference in Saudi Arabia, which is said to be in talks with Greece and Egypt to submit a joint bid to host the 2030 World Cup .
His remarks come two days after Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani denounced the ‘fabrications and double standards’ of what he described as an ‘unprecedented campaign’ of smear targeting his country.
FIFA awarded the organization of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar in late 2010, sparking criticism over workers’ rights, respect for human rights and the environmental impact of the competition.
In response, Qatar insisted on the reforms undertaken in terms of labor rights and conditions.
“Real changes have already happened,” said Gianni Infantino.
“When we talk about, for example, workers’ rights, which are and have always been an important topic, for the first time in this region, minimum wages have been created for all workers,” he said.
He also referred to what he called “crucial improvements in worker protections”.
“These changes happened in just a few years in Qatar,” added the FIFA President.