Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Nayef Al-Hajraf, yesterday expressed his support for Qatar as it prepares to host the World Cup.
The six-member Gulf bloc backs Doha in “addressing any interference in its internal affairs by publishing allegations that do not serve the establishment of normal relations between the two countries,” a statement published on its site said.
Al-Hajraf added: “Qatar is heading towards making new successes, and hosting the 2022 World Cup is a source of deserved pride.”
This came following remarks made by Germany’s Interior Minister Nancy Faeser on the rights of Qatar to host such an event.
In an interview with the ARD network on Thursday, Faeser questioned whether Qatar should host the football World Cup, saying: “There are criteria that must be adhered to and it would be better that tournaments are not awarded to such states.”
On Friday, Qatar summoned Germany’s ambassador to Doha and protested against Faeser’s comments.
