Sports diplomacy, nation branding and IP go hand in hand in Qatar
By Catherine Jewell, Information and Digital Outreach Division, WIPO
Soccer fans around the world are gearing up for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™, which will take place from November 20 to December 18, 2022. During the tournament, 32 of the world’s best national teams will compete for soccer’s top prize.
Whoever lifts the iconic trophy on December 18, the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ will go down in history as the first to have been hosted by an Arab country and to have been played in the Middle East. H.E Ambassador Dr. Hend Al-Muftah, Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations Office at Geneva recently met with WIPO Magazine to discuss the strategic importance of sport in strengthening Qatar’s national brand.
How is Qatar leveraging sport to strengthen its national brand and its international profile?
the Permanent Mission of Qatar to the United Nations
Office in Geneva)
In 2008, with the aim of transforming the country into a sustainable and thriving knowledge-based economy, we launched our National Vision 2030. Since then, we have been working hard to build brand Qatar and to enhance its international profile, including through national and human development, economic diversification, international mediation for peace and the hosting of major sporting events. These activities have enabled us to strengthen our capabilities and build our reputation as a reliable international player and partner.
Sport is an integral part of our drive to strengthen brand Qatar. Sports diplomacy is an important part of our diplomatic work, insofar as sport is a powerful communications tool that can support international efforts to strengthen and renew diplomatic relations in times of crisis. For Qatar, sports diplomacy is a major contributor to the economy, job creation and the international appeal of Qatar. The investments we have made and the projects we are rolling out in the sports sector, reinforce our national brand, and are bolstering our global position. Over the last decade, Qatar has hosted many high-level global sports events, including, of course, the upcoming FIFA World Cup. These events enable us to demonstrate what Qatar can offer the world and our commitment to sustainable development, social inclusion and the values of community and mutual respect among peoples from different cultures and nations. We believe in the power of sport to promote and strengthen these unifying universal values around the world.
Sport is a powerful communications tool that can support international efforts to strengthen, and renew diplomatic relations in times of crisis.
Thanks to the investments made over the last 15 years or so, Qatar is now home to a suite of world-class, ultra-modern sports venues. These include the Lusail Stadium (Lusail), the Al Bayt Stadium (Al Khor), the Al Janoub Stadium (Al Wakrah), the Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium (Al Rayyan) and, of course, Khalifa International Stadium in Doha. Each has been built around the principles of sustainability. Stadium 974, for example, is built entirely from shipping containers and self-contained steel units and is the first in the world that can be so easily dismantled, demonstrating Qatar's commitment to sustainable construction. After the FIFA World Cup tournament, a number of the stadium’s seats will be donated to countries in need of sporting infrastructure, especially in Africa, to help promote the culture of soccer and the practice of sports around the world. The stadia are also within an hour of each other, enabling fans to travel easily to multiple venues in a single day, if they so wish. The experience we have gained over the years in hosting high profile sporting events, means that Qatar is now a major player in the international sports arena and among the world’s sports capitals.
Hosting the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ and welcoming people from all five continents to take part in and support the world's biggest celebration of the “beautiful game” is a central pillar of our national brand, which expresses our values. Many of these values are universal. Through sport, we bring people together to share their common passion and we carry a message of peace. We highlight what we share and what binds us together, creating opportunities for friendship, cultural exchange and mutual understanding. Hosting this prestigious tournament confirms our role as a mediator for peace in these challenging times. We look forward to welcoming sports enthusiasts from across the world to celebrate this thrilling global event.
Qatar is the first Arab country to host the FIFA World Cup. What does this mean for Qataris?
Qataris are avid soccer fans. Indeed, soccer is the country’s most popular sport. So, we are all hugely excited to be at the epicenter of the soccer world in the coming weeks and of course, to see our national team compete against the world’s top soccer nations. We are also very proud to be the first country in the Middle East to host this iconic sporting event.
Hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup is a major economic opportunity in terms of catalyzing investment and partnerships for business growth.
Hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup re-affirms our country's expertise in hosting prestigious global events. It is also a major economic opportunity in terms of catalyzing investment and partnerships for business growth and demonstrating that Qatar is a place where entrepreneurs and investors can operate with confidence. Hosting the FIFA 2022 World Cup in Qatar has transformed the country and accelerated its development in terms of sports infrastructure, tourism and culture. It will also continue to contribute to increased economic returns and international partnerships long after the tournament closes. And, of course, it is a wonderful opportunity to promote our culture and showcase our signature hospitality in a multicultural environment.
Tell us about the different strands of Qatar's sports strategy
Sport is a central pillar of our National Vision 2030. We have a multi-pronged strategy with diversified investments in several sports-related areas. Its aim is to position Qatar as a globally recognized hub for sports expertise and excellence.
Hosting major sports events is an important part of that strategy. Over the years, Qatar has acquired deep expertise in this area, having hosted hundreds of high-level sports events. These include the 2006 Asian Games, the 2011 Asian Cup of Nations Football, the 2015 Men's World Handball Championship, the 2019 World Athletics Championships, the 2021 FIFA Arab Cup, as well as the upcoming FIFA World Cup. We will also be hosting the 2023 Asian Cup of Nations Football. Qatar also organizes various high-profile championship events in athletics, cycling, golf, motor sports, including, for example, our first-ever Formula 1 Grand Prix in November 2021.
To drive progress in sport and to support Qatar’s global sports ambitions, in 2008, the Emir's Resolution N°. 1, established the Aspire Zone. It consists of three institutions, namely, the Aspire Academy, Aspetar and Aspire Logistics.
The Aspire Academy, founded in 2004, focuses on identifying and educating talented young Qatari athletes and supporting the development of their sports careers. This strategy is paying dividends. In 2014, the Qatar National Youth Team won the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U19 Championships. In 2019, the Qatar national football team won the first ever AFC Asian Cup. Similarly, in the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games, for the first time, Qatar brought home three medals, two golds for Fares Ibrahim (weightlifting) and Mutaz Barshim (high jump) and a bronze for Cherif Younousse and Ahmed Tijan in the beach volleyball competition. Those Games were the best in Qatari sporting history.
The Aspire Zone also includes Aspetar, a pioneering and world class sports medicine facility. Aspetar is the first specialist orthopedic and sports medicine hospital in the Middle East and Gulf region. Its state-of-the-art facilities and global team of leading medical practitioners and researchers offer a full suite of services and technologies to enable athletes to prevent and/or manage their injuries and improve their performance. Many high-profile athletes have benefitted from Aspetar’s expertise.
Our sports strategy also supports the development of sports media in Qatar. The development of the BeIN Sports network of TV channels is central to our drive to become an international leader in sports media and marketing.
Qatar has also taken advantage of different sports investment opportunities in other countries. For example, in 2011, Qatar purchased the French soccer club Paris Saint-Germain. That move has enabled the club to become one of the best clubs in Europe and indeed, the world. Similarly, in 2017, Qatar Airways became FIFA’s official airline partner and now has a vast portfolio of international sports partnerships and sponsorship deals with major soccer clubs around the world.
How do intellectual property rights fit into Qatar’s sports strategy?
Qatar recognizes the central role that intellectual property (IP) plays in supporting the nation’s social, economic and cultural development goals. The IP system is a key mechanism to stimulate and encourage innovation, creativity and business growth in all economic sectors, including the sports industry. The strategic management of IP rights lies at the heart of all major sporting events, for example, in facilitating access to new cutting-edge technologies to enrich the fan experience and enable us to meet our environmental targets, and in securing the much-needed funding from corporate sponsors and broadcasters. Only through effective management of IP rights is it possible to secure the investment needed to stage mega sporting events like the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ and to generate economic value from them. As such, IP is an integral part of Qatar’s international sports strategy.
In concrete terms, what steps has Qatar taken to ensure the protection of IP rights in the field of sports?
For several years now, Qatar has been developing a strong dynamic in the field of IP through the accession to several international treaties and the modernization of our national IP legal framework. Our commitment to hosting major sports events adds impetus to this dynamic and also offers an excellent opportunity to raise awareness and understanding about the key role that IP plays both in the world of sports and more broadly in supporting our nation’s economic ambitions.
The IP system is a key mechanism to stimulate and encourage innovation, creativity and business growth in all economic sectors, including the sports industry.
Qatar has consistently taken the necessary steps to safeguard the IP rights of the multiple partners involved in its staging of major sporting events. For example, in 2004, Qatar enacted Law No. (27) to protect the trademarks, logos, works and related rights for the 2006 Asian Games, officially known as the Asiad XV. Similarly, a number of laws have been adopted for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™. These include Law No. (10) of 2021, on the Arrangements for the Holding of the World Cup FIFA Qatar 2022, and Law No. (11) of 2021, on the Protection of Trademarks, Copyright and Related Rights of FIFA. Qatar has also worked closely with FIFA to establish the IP guidelines for the 2022 World Cup 
. These measures further bolster Qatar’s national IP legal framework.
Qatar’s commitment to the development of a robust IP system that upholds the rights of IP owners, is key to creating a favorable investment and business environment for the sports sector, and the wider economy. Within the sports sector, for example, steps have been taken to improve the operating landscape for sports broadcasters with the decision in September 2022 of the Council of Ministers to approve Qatar’s accession to the Brussels Convention Relating to the Distribution of Programme-Carrying Signals Transmitted by Satellite administered by WIPO. The aim here is to safeguard the hefty investment that broadcasters make to cover these events and global audiences can enjoy them. We also continue to work with our international partners in the WIPO Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR) with respect to the protection of the rights of broadcasters, including sports broadcasters, as soon as possible.
What message do you have for soccer fans around the world?
We welcome sports fans from around the world to Qatar, and look forward to making the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ a unique and unforgettable experience. Together, let’s inspire the next generation of soccer players. I wish all the teams taking part in this momentous event, the very best of luck. May the best team win!
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