Added on 05/02/2011
David Roberts
2022 World Cup , Australia , Brazil , Doha , FIFA , Fifa World Cup , Football , Japan , Manchester , President , Qatar , Qatar 2022 , Sepp Blatter , United Kingdom

DAVID ROBERTS: Huge queues, chronic transportation, empty seats and a less than fulsome welcome for travelling fans – a very long ‘To Do’ list for Qatar 2022.
Added on 29/01/2011
James M. Dorsey
2022 World Cup , Asia , Bahrain , Doha , Fifa World Cup , Georgetown University , Human Rights Watch , Kuwait , Oil , Oman , Qatar , Rights , Saudi Arabia , UAE , United Arab Emirates

JAMES DORSEY: The workers are a necessarily evil, but over time they are almost certain to change the nature of society – a notion that sends chills down Qatari spines.
Added on 25/01/2011
James M. Dorsey
2022 World Cup , Alex Horne , Asian Football Confederation , Australia , England Football Association , FIFA , Fifa World Cup , Football , Germany , Japan , Michel Platini , Middle East , Mohamed bin Hammam , oil-rich emirate , Premier League , President , Qatar , Sepp Blatter , Soccer , South Korea , the Associated Press , UEFA , United States

JAMES M. DORSEY: Mohamed bin Hammam lashed out on Monday, charging that Blatter had served too long as head of soccer’s world governing body.
Added on 24/01/2011
James M. Dorsey
Asia , Doha , Fifa World Cup , Football , Japan , Middle East , President , Qatar , Saudi Arabia , Soccer , Tunisia , UAE , United Arab Emirates

JAMES M. DORSEY: In a soccer-crazy world of authoritarian regimes, football offers one of society’s few release valves.
Added on 22/01/2011
James M. Dorsey
Abdullah , Facebook , Fifa World Cup , Football , France , Jeddah , Paris , President , Qatar , Saudi Arabia , Soccer , South Africa , Sport , Syria

JAMES M. DORSEY: A three-time Asian champion and finalist in six of the last seven Asian Cup tournaments, Saudi Arabia failed to advance in Qatar, losing all three matches it played.
Added on 20/01/2011
James M. Dorsey
2014 World Cup , 2022 World Cup , Abu Dhabi , Chile , Costa Rica , Dubai , Europe , FIFA , Fifa World Cup , Football , Ghana , Golf , Macedonia , Middle East , New Zealand , Peru , President , Qatar , Russia , Soccer , Tunisia , Turkey , UEFA , United Arab Emirates , Wales , Zine el Abidine Ben Ali

JAMES M. DORSEY: Middle Eastern nations are competing to stack up successful bids to host major soccer events in an effort to position themselves as regional hubs for sport.
Added on 19/01/2011
James M. Dorsey
2022 World Cup , Bahrain , Citibank , Doha , Energy , FIFA , Fifa World Cup , Middle East , Oil and gas , Public Relations , Qatar , Qatar 2022 , Real Estate , South Africa , Television network

JAMES M. DORSEY: Qatar will become the face of an Arab world that projects itself as rich, bold and futuristic – a dramatic contrast with current perceptions of conflict and conservatism.
Added on 15/01/2011
James M. Dorsey
2022 World Cup , Alex Horne , Ali Bin Al Hussein , Asian Football Confederation , CNN , England Football Association , Europe , FIFA , Fifa World Cup , Football , James M. Dorsey , Jordan , Kuwait , Michel Platini , Middle East , Mohammed bin Hammam , oil-rich emirate , Olympics 2020 , Premier League , President , Qatar , Qatar 2022 , Sepp Blatter , Soccer , UEFA

JAMES M. DORSEY: Qatar is flexing its muscle, rejecting calls by Sepp Blatter to move the tournament to winter or co-host it with other Gulf states.
Added on 14/01/2011
Steve Royston
Abdullah , Adel Fakieh , Al-Khobar , Alternative Energy , Arabian Gulf , Bahrain , Council of Ministers , Dammam , Dubai , FIFA , Fifa World Cup , Food and Drink , G20 , Jeddah , King Abdullah University of Science , King Abdullah University of Science and Technology , long-term solution , Middle East , Oil and gas , oil-producing countries , Olympics , Riyadh , Saudi Arabia , Saudization , Shoura Council , the Heritage , United States , Yanbu

STEVE ROYSTON: King Abdullah, upon his return to Saudi Arabia after successful surgery in the United States, broadcasts to the nation. This is what he could say…
Added on 14/01/2011
James M. Dorsey
2010 World Cup , 2022 World Cup , Africa , Argentina , Asia , Australia , Barcelona , Costa Rica , Energy , FIFA , Fifa World Cup , Finance , Finmeccanica , Football , Italy , James M. Dorsey , Latin America , Libya , Middle East , Nigeria , Oil , Paraguay , Portugal , Qatar , Qatar 2022 , Qatar Investment Authority , Real Estate , Senegal , Soccer , South Africa , Spain , Thailand , The Wall Street Journal , Turkey , Unicredit , United States , Worawi Makudi

JAMES M. DORSEY: Flush with cash, Qatar spared no cost in its campaign to win the bid the World Cup. But are there ethical questions here?
Added on 09/01/2011
David Roberts
FIFA , Fifa World Cup , Football , Germany , Italy , Japan , Mexico , New Year's Day , President , Qatar , Qatar 2022 , Russia , Sepp Blatter , South Africa , United Kingdom

DAVID ROBERTS: So Sepp Blatter has begun the softening up for the first ever Winter World Cup. It makes sense, you know….
Added on 12/12/2010
Sultan Al Qassemi
Abu Dhabi , Crown Prince , Dubai , Edward Said , FIFA , Fifa World Cup , Kuwait , Media outlets , Qatar , Social Media , The National , United Arab Emirates

SULTAN AL QASSEMI: Public intellectuals reflect the conscience of society and should not be regarded as a threat, but as part and parcel of the community.
Added on 08/12/2010
James M. Dorsey
2022 World Cup , Al Ahly , Asian Football Confederation , Cairo , Egypt , FIFA , Fifa World Cup , Football , Iran , Iraq , Israel , Lebanon , Middle East , Oil , Peace , President , Prime Minister , Qatar , Qatar 2022 , Rafik Hariri , Saudi Arabia , Sepp Blatter , Soccer , South Africa , southern Yemen , Syria , Tehran , UEFA , United Arab Emirates , United States , Yemen

JAMES M. DORSEY: So deep-seated is soccer passion that governments would be acting at their own peril and would likely conclude that they have no alternative but to allow their teams to play Israel.
Added on 04/12/2010
Steve Royston
Bahrain , BBC , FIFA , Fifa World Cup , Football , Middle East , Qatar , Russia , Sepp Blatter , The Times

STEVE ROYSTON: However FIFA arrived at its decisions, if the motive is to put the tournament where there’s real passion for football, then both Russia and Qatar are good choices.
Added on 03/10/2010
James Mullan
Al Jazeera , Comedian , Fifa World Cup , Football , United Kingdom

Standing in the midst of a group of embarrassed Dutch supporters enduring the final I would have been glad of any interruption or diversion…