But as it hosts the soccer World Cup, controversy is also descending on the tiny Gulf kingdom.
“The tournament has been labeled as the first ‘fully carbon neutral FIFA World Cup tournament,’ meaning its overall impact on the planet should be zero,” the letter said.
People gather around the official countdown clock showing remaining time until the kick-off of the World Cup on Nov. 11.
After winning the right to host the tournament, Qatar pledged to become the first carbon neutral World Cup host.
“Events like the World Cup, like the football World Cup or like the Olympics bring joy and happiness to millions of people, sometimes even billions of people, right?” he said.