(Doha) The country is rarely unanimous in the Arab world, but Saudi Arabia’s unexpected triumph over Argentina has set fans across the region ablaze for the first big sensation of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Waving the flags of their countries on the corniche of Doha, Tunisians, Egyptians, Moroccans, Lebanese or even Jordanians joined the Saudi fans to celebrate with fanfare this spectacular success (2-1) Tuesday against the team of Lionel Messi, star of the round ball adored in the Arab world.
“This is a historic victory for Saudi Arabia, and a great victory for all Arabs,” said Ahmed al-Qassem. “I am happy with this magnificent footballing victory”, rejoices this 24-year-old Jordanian supporter, adding more discreetly that he is however “not a supporter of the policy of the Saudi regime”.
As in the West, the image of the powerful Gulf oil monarchy is not the brightest in the Arab world, where it is accused of financial insolence, religious ultra-conservatism or interference in the internal affairs of other countries.
But since Tuesday, everywhere in the region, social networks have seen publications celebrating the exploit of the Green Falcons, sometimes mocking the failure of the Argentines with memes. Burj Khalifa, the tallest tower in the world located in Dubai, was illuminated in the colors of the neighboring country.
“page turned”
After the match, which caused a sensation on a global level, even the Qataris doubled their horns and waved the flags of the two countries, forgetting the boycott of more than three years led by Saudi Arabia against Doha, one of the worst crises known diplomats in the Gulf.
In June 2017, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, as well as Egypt, severed relations with Qatar, accusing it of supporting extremist groups and sowing discord in the region, which Doha always denied. The five countries officially reconciled in January 2021.
“At the end of the day, we are one in a united Gulf,” concludes a 36-year-old Qatari who goes by the name Anoud. “We have turned the page on the boycott,” she assures us at the door of a shopping center, accompanied by her daughter.
Several skyscrapers in Doha have been lit up with the Saudi flag, the newspapers of Qatar having for their part celebrated a “historic and sensational” Saudi victory, forgetting the era of exchanges of courtesies by the press.
In the stands on Tuesday, the Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, proudly wore a green scarf, the color of the Saudi selection. Two days earlier, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attended the opening ceremony, draped in Qatar’s burgundy colour.
” Go further ”
In a region constantly upset by conflicts and crises, sources of collective joy are rare.
Saudi Arabia itself has been intervening militarily in Yemen since 2015 to support government forces fighting Houthi rebels, close to the Iranian rival. In Taiz, in southern Yemen, a country experiencing one of the worst humanitarian tragedies in the world, fireworks rang out to celebrate the Saudi victory.
For Nevine Mossaad, professor of political science at Cairo University, the Saudi victory represents a “particularly emotional moment” and “proof of Arab identity”.
“While it may no longer be possible to achieve political unity, there are different forms of pan-Arabism at the level of peoples, including sports pan-Arabism,” she told AFP.
“We feel that the Arabs are behind us. We are united in joy,” says Khaled Abdallah, a 23-year-old Saudi supporter wearing his country’s white and green jersey. He hopes this collective support will help the team “go further in the competition”.
Saudi Arabia still have to face Poland and Mexico to advance to the round of 16. Qualified for six World Cups, the Green Falcons have only passed the group stage once, in 1994.