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 Qatar facts and figures infographic
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FIFA WORLD CUP 2022

Facts and figures about Qatar

By Jordi Bou

November 20, 2022 - December 18, 2022 - Qatar’s staging of the 2022 FIFA World Cup is attracting interest about life in the Gulf state. Qatar is the first ever Muslim and Arab country to host football’s biggest event.

Ruled by the Al Thani family since the mid-1800s, Qatar transformed itself from a poor British protectorate noted mainly for pearling into an independent state with significant oil and natural gas revenues.

Today, Qatar is one of the richest countries in the world and is using revenue from its large gas reserves to bankroll its regional and global ambitions, including winning the bid to host the World Cup.

For decades Qatar has promoted itself as a beacon of openness in a repressive region. It hosts Al Jazeera, a popular Arab satellite station that broadcasts opinions suppressed elsewhere in the Middle East.

But the country has also faced allegations from Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch about the poor treatment of foreign workers who have been building World Cup facilities.

Sources
PUBLISHED: 08/09/2022; STORY: Graphic News
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