Following FIFA's selection of Qatar to host the 2022 World Cup, making it the first Arab country to receive this nomination, Saudi columnists lamented their own country's backwardness as opposed to the progress demonstrated by Qatar. Pointing out that the two countries are basically similar in their circumstances, they called on Saudi Arabia to learn from Qatar's success, and to shake off the religious rigidity that, they said, is hindering the country's progress.
The following are excerpts from two articles on the issue:
Saudi Arabia Must Learn from Qatar in All Areas
In an article in the Saudi daily Al-Watan, columnist 'Abd Al-'Aziz Muhammad Qassem claimed that Saudi Arabia should learn from Qatar's experience in various areas:"...The saying 'a country does not shape its geography, but does shape its history' is entirely relevant to what we see [happening] with Qatar, our dear neighbor, which has successfully arranged [to host] the World Cup, surprising the [entire] world and especially the Arab [world], which did not think it would succeed in the current international circumstances. The spotlight is back on this small country that borders us to the east, which, until a decade and a half ago, was a country almost no Arab [country], much less the rest of the countries of the world, knew or had even heard of. But, today its name is on everyone's tongue across the lobe...
"If [Qatar's] successes were limited to the realm of sports, perhaps we would be less impressed, but [it has had] consecutive successes in all areas... Over the past year, Qatar has taken first place among the Gulf states in the fields of international competition, and 17th place among the 139 countries of the world [evaluated in the World Economic Forum's 2010-2011 Global Competitiveness Report]. The fields of competition are divided into 12 main categories: institutions, infrastructure, [macro]economic environment, health and primary education, higher education and training, goods market efficiency, labor market efficiency, financial market development, technological readiness, market size, business sophistication, and innovation.
"I call on our researchers to take heed of and benefit from Qatar's experience, which can get us on track in terms of international development and competition. It would be very wise to benefit from the experience of others, especially considering that [Qatar is similar to Saudi Arabia] in terms of environment, social characteristics, and geography."[1]
Compared to Qatar, Saudi Arabia Is Backward in Numerous Ways
In a sarcastic article in the Saudi daily 'Okaz, columnist Khalaf Al-Harbi lamented the fact that Saudi Arabia lags behind while Qatar continues to make progress, and expressed the hope that by 2022 Saudi Arabia would resolve at least some of its social problems:
"From now until the 2022 World Cup, we should have plenty of time to achieve a comprehensive resolution to [such issues as allowing] women to work as cashiers...[2]
"From now until the World Cup, we have 12 years to resolve the sanitation problem, and while our Qatari brothers are busy building stadiums, hotels, and transportation networks to [facilitate] this historic [event], we might manage to fill the potholes in our roads and build airports fit for the 21st century.
"From now until the World Cup in Qatar, we should have plenty of time to comprehend that being proud of our identity does not mean forever clinging to the culture of the kutab [i.e. the traditional Islamic school for learning Koran]. While our Qatari brothers continue to address the world in English, French, and Spanish, as they did in the fine presentation of their [World Cup] bid, we might come up with a shari'a-based solution that will allow us to use the 'languages of the infidels.' Moreover, we might succeed in convincing ourselves that teaching our children English is something which will strengthen our communication with [the rest of] the world, rather than part of an American-Zionist plan for Westernization that will corrupt the [Islamic] ummah.
"From now until the World Cup, our electric company might make considerable strides towards solving the problem of blackouts at the height of summer, in the homes of people who pay their [electric] bills regularly. While our Qatari brothers carry out their promise to build [soccer] stadiums with air conditioning that will keep the air cool without harming the environment, we will adapt to air pollution. Our [lungs] will become addicted to poisonous gases and we will become like fish that breathe through their gills...
"The Qataris are just like us. Their names are like our names, their clothes are like our clothes, their oil is like our oil, their camels are like our camels, their customs are like our customs, their coffee is like ours, they are like us in every way... Our real problem is that we are [no longer] like ourselves."[3]
Endnotes:
[1] Al-Watan (Saudi Arabia), December 13, 2010.
[2] A public debate has recently arisen in Saudi Arabia over the Labor Ministry's initiative encouraging women to work as cashiers. The initiative was rejected by the Permanent Fatwa Committee, which issued a fatwa against it. This, in turn, sparked fierce criticism from Saudi journalists, many of whom regarded the issue as indicative of women's inferior social status in Saudi Arabia.
[3] 'Okaz (Saudi Arabia), December 4, 2010.
