DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

The 2022 World Cup has been dogged by controversy since Qatar was announced as the first Middle East nation, and Gulf absolute monarchy, to host it. But a successful World Cup is far from guaranteed. Dorsey said Qatar could use a successful World Cup as a springboard to reform. "This is the first ever World Cup in the region. This is a big, big deal," said Mahjoob Zweiri, director of the Gulf Studies Centre at Qatar University.

☆ Qatar World Cup: 'Our dreams never came true.' These men helped build Qatar's tournament, now they are struggling to survive.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Aimee Lewis Pramod Acharya Sugam Pokharel | Aimee Lewis | Pramod Acharya | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +31 min

It will be a historic event, the first World Cup to be held in the Middle East, but one also mired in controversy. He had dreamed of watching World Cup matches from the rooftop of the hotel he had helped build. In Qatar, migrant workers can now change jobs freely without permission from their employer. However, a number of European federations have issued a joint statement saying they would campaign at the tournament on human rights and for a migrant workers center and a compensation fund for migrant workers. The motto for Qatar’s bid team in 2010 was ‘Expect Amazing.’ In many ways, this year’s World Cup has replicated that maxim.

☆ World Cup 2022: when is the opening ceremony and who is performing?
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 16 (Reuters) - Here's what you need to know about the opening ceremony that will take place ahead of the Nov. 20-Dec. 18 World Cup in Qatar:WHEN WILL THE OPENING CEREMONY TAKE PLACE? * The opening ceremony of the World Cup will take place on Nov. 20, ahead of the opening Group A match between hosts Qatar and Ecuador. WHO WILL BE PERFORMING AT THE OPENING CEREMONY? * FIFA are yet to announce a full list of performers for the 2022 World Cup opening ceremony. WHO PERFORMED AT THE 2018 WORLD CUP OPENING CEREMONY?

☆ Qatar authorities apologise for threatening Danish film crew at World Cup
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DOHA, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Qatar's Supreme Committee said it has apologised after a Danish film crew were threatened by security staff live on air as they broadcast in the capital Doha ahead of the World Cup. A statement from the Supreme Committee said the Danish broadcast crew were "mistakenly interrupted" during a live broadcast. "Upon inspection of the crew's valid tournament accreditation and filming permit, an apology was made to the broadcaster by on-site security before the crew resumed their activity. The Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) was set up by the Qatar government to plan and prepare for the World Cup. The tournament gets under way on Sunday as Qatar take on Ecuador in the tournament opener.

☆ World Cup 2022: start date, schedule, teams, venues and final
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 14 (Reuters) - Here's what you need to know about the 2022 FIFA World Cup, which will be held in Qatar:When does World Cup 2022 start? * The World Cup will start a day earlier than originally scheduled to ensure hosts Qatar play the opening match. The World Cup will feature 32 teams and will begin with a group stage, with teams divided into eight groups of four. * Games will take place at eight stadiums -- Al Bayt Stadium, Khalifa International Stadium, Al Thumama Stadium, Ahmad bin Ali Stadium, Lusail Iconic Stadium, Stadium 974, Education City Stadium and Al Janoub Stadium. * With 80,000 seats, Lusail Iconic Stadium is the largest of Qatar's eight World Cup stadiums.

☆ Beer to cost nearly $14 per half-litre inside Qatar's main World Cup fan zone - source
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Andrew Mills | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The beer maker will also serve beer within the ticketed perimeter surrounding each stadium, where the beer price is "to be confirmed," said the source, who declined to be named. "We recognise there is an issue with price," Qatar 2022 Chief Executive Nasser Al Khater said in 2019. At the FIFA Club World Cup held in Qatar that year a half-litre of beer cost around $6.50. Qatar's World Cup organisers, the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, would not confirm the price of beer served inside the fan zone when contacted on Tuesday. "Pouring times and number of pouring destinations remains the same across all eight World Cup stadiums," the spokesperson said in a statement.

☆ No advantage for Australia from Qatar experience, says Degenek
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 14 (Reuters) - Central defender Milos Degenek does not believe Australia will gain an advantage at the World Cup from having played regularly in host nation Qatar's air-conditioned stadiums during the qualifying rounds for this month's tournament. The only advantage there's going to be is we've been here the last year, year-and-a-half four or five times to play different qualifying games." All eight of the venues being used for the World Cup are cooled to mitigate the high temperatures that affect the Gulf region. Australia played preliminaries against China and Oman at the Khalifa Stadium, which will host eight World Cup games, before facing the United Arab Emirates and Peru in playoffs at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium. Arnold's team will take on defending champions France in their opening game of the World Cup on Nov. 22 before facing Tunisia and Denmark.

☆ Regulators in focus as Airbus and Qatar Airways return to court
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Tim Hepher | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] Surface damage seen on Qatar Airways' airbus A350 parked at Qatar airways aircraft maintenance hangar in Doha, Qatar, June 20, 2022. REUTERS/Imad CreidiLONDON, Nov 11 (Reuters) - Airbus (AIR.PA) and Qatar Airways will resume a London court battle on Friday that thrusts their relations with regulators into the spotlight in a dispute over the safety of grounded A350 jets. Experts say it is the first time such a major international contractual and safety dispute in aviation, involving claims now approaching $2 billion, has ended up in open court. Airbus has told the court it would seek to show Qatar Airways "colluded" with the QCAA to have jets unnecessarily grounded to win compensation, a charge the airline denies. In a publicly available witness statement submitted to court in an October hearing, Qatar Airways cited what it called the "particular closeness" of ties between Airbus and its own regulator, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

[1/3] An undelivered Airbus A350 built for Qatar Airways is seen in storage at Chateauroux, France, September 3, 2022 as Airbus and the Gulf carrier remain locked in a contractual and safety dispute. The two leaders discussed the issue last December during a visit by French President Emmanuel Macron to Doha, the French official told Reuters on Wednesday. The exchange marks the first confirmation that a bitter contractual and safety dispute spilled beyond the courtroom. A spokesperson for Qatar Airways could not immediately be reached for comment. The dispute marks a public divorce at the heart of the $150 billion jet industry with billions of dollars at stake.

☆ These are the top 10 airlines in the world for 2022—and not one U.S. carrier made the list
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Celia Fernandez | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Airline-ranking company Skytrax ranked the world's best carriers, and not a single U.S. airline made it to the top 10. Travelers participating in the Skytrax survey were asked to rate the airlines based on: customer servicecomfortcleanlinessThe no. 1 airline of 2022: Qatar AirwaysQatar Airways ranked at the top of Skytrax's list. It will be the first World Cup held in the Arab world and the second held entirely in Asia. Top 10 airlines in the world 2022

☆ French judge to probe Vinci unit over Qatar labour rights, group says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PARIS, Nov 9 (Reuters) - A French judge has placed Vinci Construction Grands Projets, a unit of French construction group Vinci (SGEF.PA), under formal investigation over allegations it violated the rights of migrant workers in Qatar, human rights group Sherpa said on Wednesday. Vinci said through its lawyer Jean-Pierre Versini-Campinchi that it would immediately appeal the judge's decision. Reuters sought comment from the court where the judge is based but was told it was not immediately able to comment. The French judicial move follows an initial 2015 complaint by Sherpa, which was dismissed in January 2018. Sherpa said the Vinci unit faces charges of "keeping people in servitude", "work and housing incompatible with human dignity", and "forced labour".

☆ Qatar World Cup ambassador said being gay is 'damage in the mind' in a tense TV interview amid mounting criticism of the hosts
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Kit Gillet | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

An ambassador for the soccer World Cup being held in Qatar made homophobic comments in TV interview. When asked why it was haram, Salman said: "I am not a strict Muslim but why is it haram? Qatar's World Cup organizers declined to comment on the episode when asked by Reuters. It is the latest controversy surrounding the tournament, which is the first time a soccer World Cup is being held in the Middle East. Qatar has reportedly spent over $229 billion on the largest infrastructure project in World Cup history.

☆ Most Gulf stocks end higher, Abu Dhabi hits record high
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Ateeq Shariff | Megan Rowling | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Brent crude futures recouped most losses after dropping by more than $1/bbl earlier in the session on China lockdowns worries. read moreSaudi Arabia's benchmark index (.TASI) rose 0.7%, extending gains from the previous session, led by a 3% rise in Riyad Bank (1010.SE). Dubai's main share index (.DFMGI) gained 0.9%, with blue-chip developer Emaar Properties (EMAR.DU) rising 2.3%. In ABu Dhabi, the index (.FTFADGI) advanced 1.2% to hit a record high, buoyed by a 2.1% jump in the country's biggest lender, First Abu Dhabi Bank (FAB.AD). Outside the Gulf, Egypt's blue-chip index (.EGX30) advanced 2.4%, as most of the stocks on the index were in positive territory.

☆ Qatar minister accuses Germany of 'double standards' in World Cup criticism
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BERLIN, Nov 7 (Reuters) - Qatar's foreign minister has accused Germany of "double standards" over its criticism of the World Cup host's human rights record and has defended its summoning of the German ambassador, in a newspaper interview published on Monday. Qatar has faced intense criticism from human rights groups over its treatment of migrant workers, who along with other foreigners comprise the bulk of the country's population. Qatar's foreign ministry last month summoned the German ambassador over Interior Minister Nancy Faeser's comments that a country's human rights record should be factored into whether they are selected as World Cup host. "We are annoyed by the double standards," he said, adding that Qatar had faced a systematic campaign against it in the 12 years since being selected to host the World Cup that he said no other country had faced. Writing by Miranda Murray, editing by Rachel More and Gareth JonesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ European soccer associations press FIFA to act on migrant workers' rights before Qatar World Cup
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 6 (Reuters) - The Football Associations of 10 European countries, including England and Germany, are pushing FIFA ahead of the World Cup starting in two weeks to take action to improve the rights of migrant workers in Qatar. Amnesty and other rights groups have led calls for FIFA to compensate migrant workers in Qatar for human rights abuses by setting aside $440 million, matching the World Cup prize money. Denmark's players will travel to the World Cup without their families as a protest against Qatar's human rights record, their FA (DBU) said last month. Sunday's open letter said Qatar had made "significant progress" regarding migrant workers' rights and in providing assurances on the safety of LGBT supporters. Qatar's World Cup organisers did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

☆ Saudi bourse gains on rising oil prices; Egypt falls
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( Ateeq Shariff | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 6 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's stock market ended higher on Sunday in response to Friday's sharp rise in oil prices, while the Egyptian index slipped into negative territory following a recent rally. The benchmark index (.TASI) in Saudi Arabia gained 0.7%, led by a 1.6% jump in oil giant Saudi Aramco (2222.SE) and a 0.5% increase in Al Rajhi Bank (1120.SE). In Qatar, the index (.QSI) finished 0.8% higher, with Qatar National Bank (QNBK.QA), the Gulf's biggest lender, rising 1.9%. The Qatari bourse recorded an increase with natural gas prices continuing their rebound, Daniel Takieddine, CEO MENA at BDSwiss. read moreQatar, which hosts the 2022 FIFA World Cup this month, is one of the world's largest exporters of natural gas and has benefited from huge windfalls from soaring global oil and gas prices.

☆ FIFA pleads with World Cup nations to 'focus on football' in Qatar
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Sky News quoted Infantino and Samoura as saying in the letter to the 32 nations contesting the World Cup. The World Cup, the first held in the Middle East, starts on Nov. 20. read moreFootball Australia was unable to provide immediate comment to Reuters on the FIFA letter on Friday. World Cup organisers have said that everyone, no matter their sexual orientation or background, is welcome, while also warning against public displays of affection. Qatar has acknowledged there are "gaps" in its labour system but the World Cup has allowed the country to make progress on worker rights.

☆ S&P upgrades Qatar's credit rating on shrinking debt burden
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 4 (Reuters) - Ratings agency S&P on Friday raised Qatar's long-term sovereign credit rating to "AA" from "AA-", citing improvements in the government's fiscal position. "Qatar's debt interest costs as a share of government revenue have fallen, and we expect them to remain low because the government is repaying maturing debt," the agency said in a statement. read moreS&P believes that higher oil prices should result in strong government surpluses in 2022-2023. read moreS&P said Qatar government's revenue stream will substantially increase by the North Field Expansion, which is part of the world's biggest gas field that Qatar shares with Iran. Reporting by Vansh Agarwal in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'SilvaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Qatar minister slams hypocrisy of people calling for World Cup boycott
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Nov 4 (Reuters) - People calling for a boycott of the World Cup in Qatar are from a handful of countries that do not represent the rest of the world which is looking forward to the tournament, Qatar's Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani has said. Qatar is the first Middle Eastern country to host the World Cup but the small nation has come under intense pressure in recent years for its treatment of foreign workers and restrictive social laws. "The reasons given for boycotting the World Cup do not add up. Several participating teams such as England, Australia, Denmark and the Netherlands have highlighted the plight of migrant workers in Qatar. The letter was criticised by Amnesty, which has led calls for FIFA to compensate migrant workers in Qatar for human rights abuses by setting aside $440 million.

☆ Qatar relying on playmaker Afif to pull the strings
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Andrew Mills | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DOHA, Nov 2 (Reuters) - Qatar's main playmaker Akram Afif is perhaps the World Cup host country's greatest asset and worry wrapped up in one. During the Asia Cup tournament in 2019, which Qatar won, Afif's assists supplied most of the nine record-setting goals Almoaz Ali scored. The moves that Afif sets up are so critical to Qatar's success that if something goes awry and Afif is not on the pitch everything could unravel. Afif was born in the Gulf Arab state where his Tanzanian-born father of Somali descent was playing for prominent local club Al Ittihad. The Qatar World Cup is Afif's big opportunity to play on the world stage and, perhaps, to draw the attention of scouts and clubs beyond the Gulf Arab state, Hashim said.

☆ World Cup the test of Qatar's expensive bid to develop homegrown talent
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Andrew Mills | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

It's the most important... We're not asking them to (win) the World Cup," he added. Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, brother of Qatar's ruling emir, established Aspire in 2004 to develop homegrown players -- six years before Qatar's national team automatically qualified for the 2022 World Cup when it was named host country. Since June, Sanchez has taken Qatar's players to training camps in Spain and Austria. The mixed performance suggests the Gulf Arab state are no heavyweights - the team might not stand a chance against their other World Cup Group A opponents Senegal and the Netherlands. "We won't be able to tell if that's a good thing or a bad thing until after the World Cup."

☆ Goal machine Taremi ready to lead Iran's World Cup push
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Michael Church | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Since featuring for Team Melli at the last World Cup -- and missing a late opportunity against Portugal to take Iran into the knockout rounds for the first time -- the 30-year-old from Bushehr has turned into a scoring machine. The goals have flowed as the striker helped his team to the Portuguese league and cup double last season, with Taremi also impressive in the Champions League. The road for Iran was slightly less smooth, even if Taremi was scoring regularly under former coach Dragan Skocic. A fall-out with the Croatian saw him dropped for World Cup qualifiers against Lebanon and Syria last year before the pair patched up their differences and Taremi returned to the squad. Taremi, whose brother Mohammad played professionally, can lead the line alone or partner Sardar Azmoun, should the Bayer Leverkusen striker shake off an injury before the World Cup.

☆ FT: Qatar's sovereign wealth fund plans to increase stake in Credit Suisse
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailFT: Qatar's sovereign wealth fund plans to increase stake in Credit SuisseFinancial Times European banking correspondent Owen Walker discusses reports the Qatar Investment Authority is increasing its holdings in Credit Suisse, a move that will result in a quarter of the bank's shares being held by Middle Eastern investors.

☆ Tennis great King says Qatar World Cup can be force for good
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Martyn Herman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, Nov 2 (Reuters) - Tennis trailblazer Billie Jean King has spent her life fighting for gender equality and championing the rights of the LGBTQ community so it would hardly be surprising if she joined the long list of those criticising Qatar as World Cup hosts. Qatar's treatment of migrant workers and restrictive social laws which prohibit same-sex relationships has led many to question world governing body FIFA's decision. Asked if she would be happy to host the Billie Jean Cup finals, which begins this month in Glasgow, in Qatar, she said: "I probably would be because, first of all, the WTA went there years ago. Organisers of the World Cup, which starts on Nov. 20, say that everyone, no matter their sexual orientation or background, is welcome. "We were there four or five years and I think it helped," King said in a conference call with a small group of reporters ahead of the Billie Jean Cup finals which start on Nov. 8.

☆ QatarEnergy names ConocoPhilips partner for LNG expansion project
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DOHA, Oct 30 (Reuters) - QatarEnergy's chief executive on Sunday named ConocoPhillips (COP.N) as the third and final partner on the Gulf Arab state's North Field South expansion, part of the world's largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) project. State-owned QatarEnergy had already announced Shell and TotalEnergies as partners in the North Field South expansion and Kaabi said each would hold a 9.375% stake. The North Field is part of the world's biggest gas field that Qatar shares with Iran, which calls its share South Pars. Kaabi said discussions continued with several Asian buyers as "value-added partners" on the North Field expansion, but that the Western international partners were all announced. Several supply agreements were being discussed in relation to the North Field expansion, he said, adding that there would be announcements in due course.

Search resuls for: "Qatar's"

25 mentions found