A dream has come true when the Qatar national football team was able to defeat the Japanese in the final match of the Asian Cup, and won the seventeenth title of the championship deservedly. With this win, Qatari team is the ninth team to win the title, and the fourth in Arab rank after Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Iraq. This football achievement is added to the list of achievements of the Qatari state. It is not like other countries that only achieve a one-sided achievement such as the achievement in football championship but Qatar’s achievements are numerous in many areas , that the Qatari football achievement is in fact an extension of Qatar’s achievements at all levels.
Despite the imposition of some Arab states a blockade on Qatar state – which we hope will be lifted in the near future, the differences in visions and political and security issues among the Arab countries can not be dealt with through sanctions policy, but through diplomatic means – but it has managed to achieve many achievements . When we look at the achievements of the State at home and abroad, we realize that it is proceeding with a will and determination towards its planned goals and noble objectives at all levels and in all sectors internally and externally, in fulfillment of its covenants, principles and values which it has faithfully and sincerely entrusted to this land and its dear people and to all residents on its pure soil. On this path , Qatar will remain a Ka’b for the oppressed , open the doors and heart for all that is good, useful and beneficial regionally, Arab and internationally.
The State of Qatar, in the shadow of the Arab embargo imposed on it, has achieved record achievements in development, construction and renaissance projects that are in line with the Qatar National Vision 2030. At the foreign relations level, the Qatari policy has been a great success. The external tours of Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani , Emir of the State of Qatar in Africa, Europe and Asia, has greatly influenced Qatar’s international and regional standing, as well as strengthening ties of friendship with all countries of the world.
Since the State of Qatar’s record in the fight against terrorism is known and documented, it has acceded to the international and regional treaties in this regard, foremost of which is the United Nations Convention against the Financing of Terrorism of 1999 and has contributed to every international and regional effort in this regard. The speech of Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani , Emir of the State of Qatar, at the 72nd session of the United Nations in mid-September, summarized Qatar’s pivotal and vital role in combating the scourge of terrorism and the restoration of international peace and security.
In his speech, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani made an important initiative: the need to impose dialogue and negotiation as a basis for resolving differences through the conclusion of an international charter on the peaceful settlement of disputes between States. In spite of Qatar’s preoccupation with its cause and the world’s preoccupation with its repercussions, however, Qatar has not been preoccupied with its issues at the expense of issues of its Islamic and Arab nation. Sheikh Tamim shed light on the crisis of the Rohingya minority in Myanmar and the Palestinian issue and Israel’s failure to fulfill its obligations, primarily the principle of two-state solution, and the situation in Syria, Libya, Iraq and Yemen.
It is perhaps one of the greatest achievements of the State of Qatar to successfully overcome the unjust siege and to thwart its objectives and mobilize the will and energies of the citizens and residents of this land for innovation and creativity and to find alternatives that compensated the Qatari market for the needs it provided on the country’s only land route with Saudi Arabia.
Qatar has also succeeded in opening new air routes to combat the air embargo and has launched several agreements to open shipping lines with many Arab and international ports. This enabled the Qatari state to manage the crisis and face the siege efficiently. A few days after the start of the unjust siege, Emiriyah directives are issued to take the necessary steps to support the industrial sector and the rush towards self-sufficiency. The Government issued a number of resolutions and initiatives to implement these directives, including but not limited to obligating ministries and government institutions to purchase locally manufactured products when the approved country specifications are available, postponing the payment of industrial land fees for one year to the producing factories and postponing industrial loans for six months .
As for achievements at the internal level, the indicators by the State of Qatar and the ranks it has achieved in all areas in the world before and during the siege can prove the determination of this people and their leaders to overcome any obstacles others seek to put in order to prevent the State of Qatar from the dream of development and progress. In the field of energy, the Emir of the country, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, inaugurated on February 20, 2017, the Laffan II Refinery Project, which comes within the framework of realizing the Qatar National Vision 2030 to reach the ultimate goal of achieving sustainable development and ensuring the continuation of decent living , generation after generation.
The successful operation of the Laffan 2 refinery has doubled Qatar’s capacity to refine condensates to about 292,000 bpd, making Ras Laffan one of the world’s largest condensate refineries. At the end of July 2017, the first production of the Shahin offshore field was announced “north field”. The Shaheen offshore oil field is located in Qatari waters 80 kilometers north of Ras Laffan. It includes 33 sea platforms, 300 wells, the country’s largest offshore oil field and one of the world’s largest offshore oil fields.
To move from gas platforms and oil wells to ship berths and shipping systems. The year 2017 saw the official opening of Hamad port and the opening of a port in the Umm al-Houl area. The port played an important role by operating direct maritime lines with major regional and international ports in a very short time , which contributed to the provision of goods, supplies and all vital projects. This contributes to increasing the volume of international trade between Qatar and the world, creating job opportunities for the youth and raising the standard of living, as well as improving the competitiveness of the country by transforming it into a regional trading center, creating sustainable development for future generations. .
Qatar Ports Management Company (Qatar Ports) has launched five direct shipping lines between the port, and Omani ports of Sohar , Salalah , Kuwaiti Shuwaikhs, Turkish Izmir and Indian Nava Shiva , providing fast and secure solutions to exporters and suppliers from around the world ,in order to ensure that the movement of ships, shipping and maritime freight is not affected by the embargo. In 2017, the first direct shipping line between Doha and the economic capital of Shanghai was launched. The line reduces the duration of the flight between Doha and Shanghai to 20 days only.
The global recognition of the strength of Qatar’s economy has been recognized by the World Trade Organization (WTO), the State of Qatar, among the top 20 countries in the world for competitiveness in services. This sector is one of the rising sectors that contribute to the success of other sectors and is the backbone of the economy. And Qatar occupied advanced ranks in the Global Competitiveness Book of the International Institute for Management Development (IMD) in 2017, ranking 8th in the economic performance pillar, 11th in the government efficiency pillar and 12 in the efficiency of the business sector. And it has achieved the (17) rank out of 63 countries, mostly developed countries.
The Global Competitiveness Report issued by the World Economic Conference confirmed that the Qatari capital market is considered to be the best and most important financial market in the Arab region and one of the top ten financial markets in the world in many indicators related to measuring the performance of the capital market. The Qatari market ranked first in the Arab world and ranked 10th in the world. In the Securities Legislation Index, the Qatari capital market also ranked first in the Arab world and ninth in the world out of 137 financial markets.
Because the strong economy is based only on the security to achieve stability and sustainability, Qatar ranked in 2018 among the world’s lowest crime rates and ranked in the world’s top security indexes, ranking first in the Middle East in the low rate of crime and the seventh globally in the same index, according to the annual report of the Global Index of the crime of the Encyclopedia of the World Database (Nambio), which is one of the largest and most famous encyclopedias in this area on the Internet.
For the ninth year in a row, Qatar topped the list of the Middle East and North Africa countries in the World Peace Index and ranked 30th among the 163 countries surveyed by the London Institute for Economics and Peace, maintaining its first ranking in the Middle East and North Africa during the past years (2009-2018). From the heart of the siege, Hamad International Airport won the sixth place as the best airport in the world at the 2017 Skytrax International Awards, up four places compared with the same rank of the last year. In a ceremony held on the sidelines of the Amsterdam Passenger Building, it was a warded , the Middle East’s best airport for the third year in a row, and the Middle East’s “Best Employee Service” for the second year in a row and was awarded a five-star rating by Skytrax, becoming one of only five airports in the world to enjoy in this category.
This year, Qatar Airways won the award of the best Airline in the world for the fourth time in its history. In the context of Qatar’s keenness under the wise leadership of HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, for the continuous development of all branches of the armed forces, this year saw the signing of many military cooperation agreements and partnerships with most of the developed world in the field of weapons technology and training. Qatar has supported its defense system in various aspects of cooperation with more than 15 countries around the world, led by the United States of America, Russia, Britain and France.
On the level of legislation witnessed this year, the state’s tendency to amend some of the provisions of the Free Zones Law of investment , one of the main entrances in enhancing the economic capacity of the state, attracting and encouraging domestic and foreign investments, creating a sophisticated investment environment and stimulating economic activities. Then , subsequent directives to the various ministries and government agencies were given to support investment in the country and provide a wide range of incentives to the private sector to support local industries and increase production to ensure the provision of various goods in the local markets.
As for sport, in 2018, Qatar hosted many sporting events.
Qatar Tennis Championship
Every year, the world tennis stars gathered for the Qatar Championship, in which the French player Gael Monfils succeeded to win its title at the expense of Russian Andrei Roblef by two sets against nothing. The Qatar Men’s Championship began in 1993, when the German Boris Becker won the title at the expense of Croatian Goran Ivanisevic three sets against nothing 7-6, 4-6, and 7-5.
Qatar Women’s Tennis Championship, the Czech Petra Cvetona won the title and then, women went on their presence on the territory of Qatar. The Qatar Women’s Tennis Championships were held for the first time in 2001, when the swiss Martina Hingis met her French counterpart Sandrins Testoud and won the title.
Sports Day in Qatar
In 2011, an Amiri Decree was issued stating that on Tuesday of the second week of February of each year, it will be a sports day for the state, in which all segments of society participate. The country will turn into a large green stadium. This matter has impressed the entire world because it strengthens the links of the community and it helps foreigners to see Qatar and its customs the definition of foreigners to Qatar and customs, and openness and endeavors to develop more.
Xavi Ambassador
During the year 2018, the Supreme Committee for Projects and Heritage of Qatar, which is responsible for the implementation of infrastructure projects to host the 2022 World Cup, announced that the Spanish star, Xavi Hernandez, the Qatari Al Sadd player and former Barcelona player, was the first international ambassador for it after working for two years as an ambassador for the program of fascinating generation , The move is a prove to Qatar’s professionalism and its drive to attract big players in the football world and benefit from its experience.
Giant BN Sport
Despite the siege on Qatar and the piracy in which Qatari “BN Sport channel exposed to “, the latter managed to stay at the top, after covering the championship of 2018 World Cup in Russia and many other championships , and this year signed an important agreement with the League of English Premier League on the rights to transfer the competition in the Middle East for the seasons between 2019 and 2022.
World Cup Handball Clubs
Qatar hosted the Super Bowl World Championship of hand ball in 2018 with the participation of the biggest clubs in the world, and Barcelona won the title after defeating Fox Berlin club in the final, while third place was in favor of French Montpellier club and Qatari al-Saad ranked fourth .
Qatar Classic Squash International Championship
From handball and tennis, we move to squash, Qatar is always on the world arena to host the most prestigious tournaments. This is what happened in 2018. Doha hosted the Qatar Classic Squash Championship with the participation of many big stars in the skies of the sport, such as the Egyptian Mohammad al-Shourbagi, and Ali Faraj, who won the title at the expense of the German Simon Rosner.
World Gymnastics Championships
Qatar hosted the World Gymnastics Championships for ten days , Doha being the first Middle East city to host these Competitions in the 48th edition, with the participation of 700 players , female and male , from 78 countries representing the world. The American legend, world champion and Olympic champion, Simon Biles, won her fourth medal in Qatar 2018.
Great names in Doha
It is true that Qatar has succeeded at the sports level, but it has also been attractive to many injured football stars, who have come to it for treatment and rehabilitation. Tottenham star Moussa Dembili came to Doha for treatment, which was the case for Barcelona players Osman Dembli and Samuel Ommetti.
Summit of Viva
Qatar hosted the FIFA World Summit, in which more than 60 international delegations participated. Gianni Infantino, President of the International Federation of the Game, spoke about Qatar’s readiness to host the 2022 World Cup, expressing his admiration for the infrastructure and the recent achievements despite the siege.
Wholesale achievements
Qatar Sports achieved many achievements in 2018 at the individual and collective levels, most notably handball. The men’s team ranked first in the Asian Championship, the team also won the gold of the 18th Asian Games. Qatar’s Abdul Karim Hassan, player of Qatari al-Saad, he won the award of the best Asian Footballer of the Year after winning the AFC Champions League semi-final, beating Japan’s Azima Suzuki, Kashima Antlers and fellow Kinto Misau, who won the title of Asian championship, so the star of al-Sad to become the second Qatari player gets the prize after Khalfan Ibrahim Khalfan in 2006.
The achievements of the State of Qatar are difficult to enumerate. Excellence was a diplomatic, economic and educational presence. These achievements were a wonderful introduction to the football achievement achieved on the current February 1, to be added to the achievements of the State of human welfare, state of Qatar.
Arab Studies Unit
Rawabet Center for Research and Strategic Studies