ABU DHABI: Mohammed Khalfan al-Romaithi, the UAE General Sports Authority chairman, has offered the first indications that the Emirates is having a rethink on the efficacy of the economic and political blockade that Saudi Arabia and its allies the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt put in place on neighbouring Qatar in 2017.
al-Romaithi told Reuters that the Gulf nation was ready and willing to co-host the 2022 FIFA World Cup alongside Qatar “if the problem (created by the Saudi-led bloc) is solved”.
The development comes after FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s recent backing of a proposal to expand the tournament from 32 to 48 teams, which could make logistics, hospitality and other costs involved in hosting, a heavy burden on Qatar.
“I think the right way is to solve the problem,” Romaithi told Reuters in an interview on Tuesday.
“Bring back the relationships, be brothers again like we were, and then we can support.
“If the problem is solved I think the UAE would welcome the World Cup here, a group or two for example.
“If the relationship comes back to normal and all problems are resolved, we would be more than happy to help the Qataris.”
The UAE cut off diplomatic relations with Qatar in June 2017, when it became one of the countries to accuse the latter of supporting and funding terrorism, a charge Qatar strenuously denied.
A direct fallout of the political standoff can be seen in the ongoing AFC Asian Cup tournament in which the UAE is host nation. Though Qatar has reached the quarter finals (it faces South Korea on Friday), supporters and journalists have not been able to cheer on or cover the national team’s performance in the stadia.
