Qatar: No impact on 2022 FIFA World Cup preparations

Qatari authorities said on Thursday that preparations for the 2022 FIFA World Cup have not been affected by the ongoing diplomatic row with neighbouring Gulf states and other Arab countries.

The 2022 World Cup is the centerpiece of a carefully crafted strategy to project Qatar onto the global stage through sports. Experts have previously said that the dispute could impact the peninsula's preparations for the mega-sporting event.

Alternative sources for construction materials have been secured and construction work is well underway. The FIFA President Gianni Infantino said last Sunday that the diplomatic rift facing Qatar will normalize, and will not have any consequences on Doha's preparations for the highly anticipated event.