(Mohammed al-Rumaithi, chairman of the UAE's general authority of sports. Photo credit: AFP)

Gulf states could ease their regional blockade of Qatar if the latter allows them to host matches during the 2022 World Cup, a senior Emirati official has said to the Financial Times.

The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Egypt cut diplomatic, trade and travel ties with Qatar in June 2017, based on claims that the country supports terrorist groups, which was denied by Doha.

But according to Mohammed al-Rumaithi, head of the UAE’s general sports authority, football could ease the crisis. Ahead of Thursday’s launch of his campaign for the presidency of the Asian Football Confederation, Mohammed al-Rumaithi told the Financial Time on Thursday:

“My message to them [Qatar] is: let’s take this crisis away from us and focus on football,”

“If in the future the crisis will finish, then all other countries would open their arms to welcome any groups from Qatar,” he said.

“This is Qatar’s success: they won the bid and is the host and we would only be helping. We are happy for the Qataris.”

Rumaithi’s comments come as he vies for the presidency of the Asian Football Confederation, a mini-contest between representatives from Bahrain, UAE, and Qatar that is highly evocative of wider regional rivalries.

It is worth noting that relations between the UAE and Qatar blazed again earlier this year when Qatar, thrashed the UAE 4-0 on their way to claiming the Asian Cup 2019, as Emirati fans throw bottles and shoes on to the pitch.

“I am very sorry for what happened, but this does not represent the UAE as a whole,” Rumaithi told the Financial Times.

(Al Bayt Stadium – Al Khor City, which will welcome the world's best players at the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar™, is close to completion.)

Beyond the fact that UAE and some other Gulf states have sought to discredit Qatar as a host, Doha has proved its capacity of addressing potential disruptions and nothing has impaired Qatar’s ability on the way to completing infrastructure on time. Equally significant is the fact that the UAE is not going to give up its covert efforts to have Qatar stripped of hosting the World Cup. However, FIFA is due to vote on the proposed World Cup expansion in June.


What are your thoughts on these latest developments in the ongoing GCC Crisis? Drop us a line and tell us your thoughts in the comments below, and don’t forget to like and share this article.

Follow us on our social media channels: @ILQlive @ILQlive @ILoveQtr ILoveQatar

Khadiza Begum

Content Writer

Start a discussion