Qatar 2022 World Cup Cultural Celebration: An Arabic Model of Cultural Diplomacy رطق ملاعلا سأكب يفاقثلا لافتحلاا 2022 ةيسامولبدلل يبرع جذومن : ةيفاقثلا

: Objectives: This study reports the findings of a research into cultural diplomacy and sport. It aims to analyse the role of cultural diplomacy and sports culture in establishing the grounds for a mutual cultural dialogue among different societies. The study also aims to investigate the impact of diplomatic efforts promoting the Arabic and Qatari culture during a universal sport event that occurs in an Arab country for the first time in history. This study was conducted using a cross-sectional design. The data has been collected by interviews and questionnaires. Methods: The study employs descriptive and inferential approaches. The research data was analysed by using (SPSS). Results: Based on the research results, the researcher proposes conclusions regarding efficient and effective management of such a global sports event where most World countries meet. Results show that Qatar considers customs and values of different cultures and can counter anti-media campaign. Conclusions: The researcher recommends organizing more culture related-courses among Arab youth, providing support for local Arab institutions which sponsor sports, arts and entertainment activities and carrying out more research on social and psychological aspects of sport due to lack of literature on the theme.


Introduction:
For the first time in history, FIFA has organized World Cup competitions in an Arab country, Qatar.The 22 nd edition of the World's most popular sports event kicked off on 21 st November 2022 and concluded 28 days later on 18 th December, which coincided with Qatar's National Day.The tournament has had transformative impacts on different aspects, such as national reputation, resilience, organizing and international cooperation.
And since sports are a tool to gather communities, more work is still required to promote peace and humanity in sports activities globally.
This research aims at gaining insights into diverse measures identified in Qatar's organizing of the games.The findings will highlight Qatar's crucial role in cultural bridging and facilitating sports events in addition to the country's ability to embrace a variety of backgrounds in one place.The paper investigates individuals' responses toward a new culture and provides observations regarding sport culture and various measures related to cross-cultural disagreement in sports theme.
It is important to emphasize that the research conclusions will be crucially significant for event organizers, psychologists, business owners, sport professionals, instructors, athletes and sports fans.

Methodology:
Study Design: This study uses a cross-sectional design based on questionnaires.The study employs descriptive and inferential approaches.The primary goal is to Identify if the Qatar World Cup 2022 can achieve cultural rapprochement through cultural diplomacy.
The data was analysed descriptively and statistically using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS).Several analytical and descriptive statistical techniques were used, including (t) test, One-way ANOVA test, frequencies and percentages.The descriptive approach used in this study is the most logical one to describe the current situation and answer pertinent questions.

Population of the study:
The population of this study was foreign fans who attended the Qatar World Cup 2022.The whole population consists of 118 foreign fans who attended the Qatar World Cup 2022.

The sample of the study:
According to FIFA, 3.4 million spectators inside the stadiums enjoyed the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 comparing to 3 million in 2018.Accessible sampling was used to select foreign fans who attended the Qatar World Cup 2022.The chosen (118) foreign fans attended the Qatar World Cup 2022.

Description of Sample:
The total sample size was 118.

Research Instruments:
The research was based on a semi-structured Likert type questionnaire for foreign fans who attended the Qatar World Cup 2022 to measure their views towards it.The study relied on a semi-structured five-point Likert questionnaire for foreign fans who attended the 2022 World Cup to measure their opinions about Qatar's observance of values, customs and requirements of different cultures.

The scale of measurement to measure the views towards Qatar's observance of values, customs and requirements of different cultures:
Based on the Likert type questionnaire distributed to the foreign fans who attended the Qatar World Cup 2022 at Directorate of Qatar, the responses to the items about observance of values, customs and requirements of different cultures were scored as follows: (5) strongly agree, (4) agree, (3) Undecided, (2) disagree, (1) strongly disagree for positive items and for the opposite of them for negative ones.The scores for each respondent were added, the maximum possible score was (of N x 5), and the minimum was (of N x 1).N = the number of items on the questionnaire.The answers of scales were as the follows: Validity and Reliability of the Questionnaire: The researcher used the following three ways to assess the content validity and reliability of the questionnaire:

Reliability of the study instrument:
To determine the reliability of questionnaire, alpha formula was used.The results showed that the total score of reliability was (0.95), this value are suitable for conducting such a study.

Validity of the study instrument:
The questionnaire was reviewed by a group of experts in the field of Convergence of cultures.They deleted and rephrased some items to make the study instrument reached its final form.

Statistical Analysis:
The 28 th version of the Statistical Package for Social Science program (SPSS) was used to make data analysis.Various statistical tests and procedures were used, including means, frequencies, standard deviation, ttest for independent samples, and ANOVA test.P-value (less than or equal to 0.05) was used to test the significance of the scores for the study hypothesis.

Procedures:
The researcher used the following procedures while conducting this study: First: after the expert-approved the validity and reliability of the instrument of the study, which is on the convergence of cultures, the researcher incorporated the required changes and modifications.Second: the researcher decided on the population of the study.Third: the researcher chose the study sample using accessible sample method.Fourth, the researcher managed to collect almost all the copies.Then the questionnaire was statically treated.

Summary:
This chapter deals with the methodology and design of the study.Moreover, the researcher classified the chapter by foremost presenting the population distribution.Then, the researcher categorized the sample due to the study variables (gender, age, mother tongue).Additionally, the researcher ensured that she enforced all the required checks on the validity and reliability of the instrument.After that, the researcher displayed the procedures followed in conducting the study.

Literature Review:
Culture has always been an elusive and delicate concept for Humans.Therefore, it has been the focus of a variety of research fields.Consequently, communities' reactions to cultures significantly affect government' establishment and implementation of social and political regulations.Hence, football and football culture could indicate specific characteristics in people and communities and assist in understanding nations from physical, mental and psychological point of view.In China, for example, campus football culture is considered an efficient method to cultivate students' sports interests and hobbies, in addition to forming good physical exercise habits and promoting the quality of education (Wei, 2021).
Usually, sport generally lends itself to a variety of settings and objectives.Therefore, culture becomes deeply involved with football and its contributions in building bridges and realizing nations' goals.Coaches often concentrate on the psychological aspect of the game as it impacts performance and optimizes the profession's effectiveness.According to Cruickshank and Collins, the establishment and maintenance of high performing cultures in managing sport teams requires comprehending beliefs and values across all group members in order Social Sciences, 1(2) (2023), 133-145 137 to support their institutionalization and enhancement in addition to providing better understanding in sport psychology and organizational aspects of sports team management (Cruickshank & Collins, 2012).

Contemporary Studies in
In a dissertation published by the University of Sussex, Lea-Howarth argues that team sports may provide a politically neutral, sub-systemic centre for people to build positive relationships by being willing to engage actively in the game as organizers or players.Moreover, the professional football game has to be a global multibillion dollar industry.Consequently, football has future potential to attract and provide increased funding streams to peace building projects and peace-making efforts (Lea-Howarth, 2006).

Counter Qatar Media Campaign:
Netflix has produced a sequel of 4 episodes regarding FIFA and corruption, money and power involved in football.The third episode, FIFA Uncovered, mentions the selection of Qatar to host 2022 World Cup tournament and dives into details of corruption of FIFA and challenges facing Qatar.
In the documentary, Joseph Sepp Blatter, the former president of FIFA, comments on Qatar being the 2022 host of the World Cup, "We go to the Middle East, we go to the Arabic World, we go to the Islamic World.It is the development of football, and we don't speak about the money.It has nothing to do with money.' 'I would say the first strong decision is where the politics brought the world cup to be in Qatar and not as it was my wish to be in the United states of America' (minute 04:26).
On the other hand, David Conn, a Guardian journalist and author of The Fall of the House of FIFA, states that, for Qatar, you're talking about being part of an actual nation building mission in attempt for Qatar to break free and get out of the shadow of Saudi Arabia and carve out a different character (minute 07:19).
Hassan Al Thawadi, secretary general, chief executive officer in Qatar's 2022 Bid and the Chairman of the 2022 FIFA World Cup LLC, was emotional in the documentary when he mentioned the attack on FIFA, the attack on Qatar, the descriptions that were coming into play such as Qatar being named 'desert' and pre-hosting the tournament which was in his opinion very close to being racist attacks (minute 03:40).
The documentary exposes multiple opinions and touches on the prearranged-anti Qatar media campaigns.Although the documentary indicates challenges and doubts about Qatar's ability to host such a global event with no prior similar experience and terrible climate conditions, others have been badly optimistic about Qatar being allowed to lead a universal sport event and present its culture, dreams, and potentials on the world stage.

First Female Referee:
One of the World Cup historic moments in Qatar was when the world witnessed one of the main achievements in sports history, as the 38-year-old French Stephanie Frappart became the first woman to referee a World Cup football game for on the 1st of December (2022) between Germany and Costa Rica.The match occurred at Al Bayt Stadium in Qatar, a country known for being modest and conservative in the Arab region.
Although it was not the first time Frappart refereed in crucial matches, she had previously performed in a league one and UEFA Champions League games, which she could officiate in Qatar made history (FIFA, 2022).
The implications of such an event have resulted in global ramifications.For instance, Pierluigi Collina, FIFA's chairman of the referee committee, commented that the event attracted attention and interest in a country such as Saudi Arabia, Iran or Qatar, which have restrictions and conservative nations in general (Dailymail, 2022).

Voices from Qatar:
The researcher has had the opportunity to meet many journalists and influencers in Qatar and interview them regarding the event.David Jaggings, a project manager in CSM Company in Qatar, commented that many pre-conceptions have been changed, especially by people who have been in Qatar for some time because they have experienced first-hand local culture.Fawzi Bushra, a journalist in Aljazeera stated that Qatar has succeeded in proving the wrong accusations raised against it, which was notable through social media viral posts of journalists and Westerners denouncing attack on Qatar realizing it as a form of Western arrogance despite Qatar success in hosting a World Cup that takes into account cultural specificities and encourages others to respect its values.
Eman Al Amri, Director of Aljazeera Media Institute, has emphasized that the role Qatar in hosting the World Cup played economically, politically and socially.She mentioned promoting the Qatari culture, and delving into new experiences like camping in the desert and sand skiing.These experiences allow people to open Social Sciences, 1(2) (2023), 133-145 138 up to a new culture and engage with the new reality of the hosting country.Social media clamoured with posts revealing people of various nationalities enjoying their time in Qatar, for example, a British man enjoying matches without consuming any alcohol.That perception had also been accepted by Hasna Al Dodi, a resident of Doha, who works in PR.Al Dodi expressed how the event contributed to changing stereotypes many people had of Arabs, especially people of Asian and Latin origins who shared so much in common with the Arab culture such as hospitality and appreciation of family.

Humanitarian Initiatives:
Qatar World Cup 2022 has presented different humanitarian initiatives and environmentally friendly opportunities, such as the Stadium 974 in Qatar, constructed out of recyclable material and shipping containers.With 60% of greenhouse gas used in construction compared to permanent structures, the material allows for multiple dismantling and reassembling.According to Alaraby News, the stadium hosted 7 World Cup matches, and then they broke it down afterwards to be donated to another country (Alaraby, 2022).In addition, as reported by Eman Al Amri in an interview with the researcher, the Islamic and Qatari museums have been opened free of charge to foreigners in the country to give them the opportunity to be informed with the Qatari and Arab culture, food, clothing, and heritage (Al Amri, 2022).

Cultural Exchange and Exposition:
Marketing Opportunities for Participating Countries Promoting their Identities: The world cup event opened room for several brands and companies to make their mark in the minds of football fans attending the games.For instance, communication companies of different countries gave 3-day-SIM cards of free internet to football fans present in Qatar.In addition, Hijab (head scarf) brands like Kashkha and Hijabi have set up booths for free hijab trials and gave free headscarves to many interested women.The initiative has raised awareness about hijab and modesty culture in the region and allowed for many cultural exchanges in terms of clothing and style (Al Amri, 2022).

Lionel Messi Wears the Arab Bisht:
One of the viral remarkable scenes that have circulated on media platforms is the moment the Argentinian captain Messi was offered the traditional Arab robe known as 'Bisht' by the ruler of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to wear while lifting the world cup.Offering the Arab traditional cloak represents expressing respect towards guests as a symbol of honour and high social status in the Gulf culture and a symbol of prestige among the wealthy.Therefore, Messi was given the Bisht by the prince of Qatar himself, who put it on his shoulders which is the highest form of decoration and honour in the Gulf countries since that has been a regional celebration, not a merely Qatari occasion (Aljazeera, 2022).
Later after the event, the Omani Parliament member Ahmad Al Barwani has offered Messi $1 million in return for that Bisht.Al Barwani commented that he was at the stadium when the Prince of Qatar offered Messi the Bisht, and that moment told the world that Arabs are here and that this is their culture (Daily Mail UK, 2022).
On the other hand, many news agencies have reported that the gesture of Messi wearing the Bisht has flared up an enormous wave of racism and Islamophobia reactions among individuals who disapproved of the trophy presentation to Messi in the Bisht.For example, a national British daily broadsheet newspaper, The Telegraph Sport, posted a headline with Messi's photo titled "The bizarre act that ruined the greatest moment in World Cup history.' Similarly, an ESPN reporter, Mark Ogden, commented, 'All the photos are ruined by someone wearing a cape that looks like he's about to have their hair cut.' (Tittlepress, 2022).

Cristiano Ronaldo Signs for a Saudi Arabian Football Club:
The World expected the outcomes of such a global high-level football event.One of the most significant deals that occured in the history of football was the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo for Al Nassr Football Club, which has made him the highest-paid footballer in the World.The deal revealed post to World Cup 2022 in Qatar concluded.In a tweet by AlNassr FC, the club posted that history was in the making, and that the signing would not only inspire the club to achieve even greater success but would also inspire the league, the nation, and future generations, boys and girls to be the best version of themselves.The tweet was, "Welcome @Cristiano to your new home.
According to Sporting News, the former Manchester United and Juventus player will make approximately €175 million yearly.However, Ronaldo stated in an interview with Dan Roan on BBC in 2015 that he thinks, "It is not about the money.'He added, "If you speak about money, I will go to Qatar.I may have more money than Manchester City.But it is not about money.It is the passion.'Immediately after the iconic move of the Portuguese player for two and a half-year contract with the Saudi AlNassr Club, the club's official Instagram account followers has raised from 860,000 to 10.7 million followers (Daily Mail UK, 2023), indicating a sudden and increasing interest of football fans in the recent Arabian club and league Ronaldo has chosen to join.
Later, footage of Ronaldo and his girlfriend, Georgina Rodriguez wearing an Abaya (Arabic long gown for women) on social media.The indulgence of the famous Spanish model in a new culture and style has caught the attention of several fashion magazines, newspapers and fashion experts.Naheed Ifteqar wrote for Vogue Magazine about Rodriguez cheering at Lusail Stadium wearing a sage green Abaya embroidered with palm fronds by famous Qatari fashion brand 1309 Studios.Ghada Al Subaey, the brand, stressed that its contemporary pieces were ideal for Rodriguez (Ifteqar, 2023).This addition of styling options for Ronaldo's partner revealed it will not be the last considering the stars' new contract in an Arabian region.Furthermore, given that culture centres on the fashion industry core, elements like garments, patterns, and jewellery reflect an individual's identity and interests.Therefore, fans expected to see Rodriguez in a new light, and become more familiar with the Arab culture related to clothing and styling through fashion picks made by their favourite celebrities.Based on the review of related literature and analysis of the study's problem, the present research proposes the following hypothesis:

Research Hypotheses:
Study Problem: Despite that sport promotes cultural exchange; Qatar World Cup 2022 has vexed several countries and communities.The researcher hypothesizes the following: Hypothesis 1: Qatar succeeded in finding a common ground for cultural dialogue.Hypothesis 2: Qatar managed to employ World Cup events, communicative and media activities like social media in diplomatic promotion of Arab and Qatari culture.

Study questions: Main question:
Has Qatar been considerate of values, customs, and requirements of different cultures during World Cup preparations?

Sub questions:
Q1: Has Qatar practiced cultural promotion to serve the Arab and Islamic culture?Q2: Was Qatar able to counter the anti-media pre-arranged campaigns of incitement against it before and during World Cup events?Q3: Has Qatar recruited official institutions in dissemination of culture during preparation and implementation of World Cup events?

Results:
Results related to the first part: The main Question was:

Has Qatar been considerate of values, customs, and requirements of different cultures during World Cup preparations?
To answer this question, means, standard deviations and percentages of each item, and the total score of considerate Qatar of values, customs, and requirements of different cultures during World Cup 2022 preparations were worked out.The study adopted a five-point scale with determined-length by calculating the range of the scale (1-5) and divided on the highest value of the scale to determine the cell length, (5\3=1.33)then added to the lowest value in the scale to determine the lowest value of scale (1+1.33=2.33):

The First sub-question: Has Qatar practiced cultural promotion to serve the Arab and Islamic culture?
To answer this question, the means, standard deviations and percentages of each item, and the total score of practiced Qatar cultural promotion to serve the Arab and Islamic culture were calculated.Table (4) shows the results of First sub-question:  Table (4) shows that the total score of practiced Qatar cultural promotion to serve the Arab and Islamic culture indicated a high degree with (M=4.31,SD=.54197, % 86.31), item (1) (M=4.46,SD=.59459, 89.32%), indicating that Qatar has practiced Qatar cultural promotion to serve the Arab and Islamic culture.

The Second sub-question: Was Qatar able to counter the anti-media pre-arranged campaigns of incitement against it before and during World Cup events?
To answer this question, the means, standard deviations and percentages of each item, and the total score of the extent to which Qatar faces incitement campaigns against the media, which it arranged in advance, before and during the World Cup were worked out.Table (5) shows the results of first sub-question.Table (5) shows that the total score of the extent to which Qatar faces incitement campaigns against the media, which it arranged in advance, before and during the World Cup indicated a high degree with (M=4.00,SD=.72575, % 80), item (1) (M=4.19,SD=.92689, 83.90%), indicating that Qatar faced inflammatory campaigns arranged in advance by the media before and during the World Cup.

Third sub-question: Has Qatar recruited official institutions in dissemination of culture during preparation and implementation of World Cup events?
To answer this question, the means, standard deviations and percentages of each item, and the total score of the extent to which Qatar uses official institutions to spread culture during the preparation and implementation of the World Cup activities were calculated.Table (6) shows the results of first sub-question:  Table (6) shows that the total score of the extent to which Qatar uses official institutions to spread culture during the preparation and implementation of the World Cup activities indicated a high degree with (M=4.29,Social Sciences, 1(2) (2023), 133-145 142 SD=.54345, % 85.96), item (1) (M=4.44,SD=.60761, 88.98%), indicating that Qatar used official institutions to spread culture during the preparation and implementation of the World Cup activities.

Part Two: Testing the Study Hypothesis:
The second part is dedicated to testing the validity of the study hypothesis and to discussing the role of the variables (gender, age, mother tngue.) on the level of the Qatar World Cup 2022, enabling cultural convergence through cultural diplomacy.

Results of the first hypothesis:
The First hypothesis in this study states that: There are no statistically significant differences at (≤0.05).There are no statistically significant differences at (≤0.05) on the level of the Qatar 2022 World Cup being able to achieve cultural rapprochement through cultural diplomacy due to the gender variable.
An independent-sample t-test was computed to compare the level of the World Cup 2022 in Qatar, being able to achieve cultural rapprochement through cultural diplomacy due to the gender variable.Table (7) shows the result of (t) test.7) shows no significant differences at ( ≤0.05) in the total score of the independent sample in the level of World Cup 2022 in Qatar, being able to achieve cultural rapprochement through cultural diplomacy due to gender variable sex of foreign fans variables.The significant value was computed form the sample reached (0.85), this value is more than the significance level (α≤0.05),meaning we accept the null hypotheses, indicating that there are not significant differences in the scores of males and females on in the total score of the level of World Cup 2022 in Qatar being able to achieve cultural rapprochement through cultural diplomacy.

Results of the Second Hypothesis:
The second hypothesis in this study states that: There are no statistically significant differences at (≤0.05), and there are no statistically significant differences at (≤0.05) on the level of World Cup 2022 in Qatar being able to achieve cultural rapprochement through cultural diplomacy due to the age variable.
A one-way ANOVA test was calculated to compare the level of World Cup 2022 in Qatar being able to achieve cultural rapprochement through cultural diplomacy due to the age variable.Table (8) shows the results of the one-way ANOVA test.(8) shows that there are not significant differences at ( ≤0.05) in the degree of the level of World Cup 2022 in Qatar being able to achieve cultural rapprochement through cultural diplomacy due to the age variable.The significant value was computed form the sample reached (0.29), this value is more than the significance level (α≤0.05),meaning we accept the null hypotheses.

Results of the third hypothesis:
There are no statistically significant differences at (≤0.05).There are no statistically significant differences at (≤0.05) on the level of World Cup 2022 in Qatar being able to achieve cultural rapprochement through cultural diplomacy due to the mother tongue variable.
A one-way ANOVA test was computed to compare the level of World Cup 2022 in Qatar being able to achieve cultural rapprochement through cultural diplomacy due to mother tongue variable as it shown in table (9).(9) shows that there are no significant differences at ( ≤0.05) in the degree of the level of World Cup 2022 in Qatar being able to achieve cultural rapprochement through cultural diplomacy due to mother tongue variable.The significance value was computed form the sample reached (0.72).This value is more than significance level (α≤0.05),meaning that we accept the null hypotheses.

Discussion:
The main contribution this study provides is giving a brief insight into the factors which resulted in the success of the unique experience an Arab country such as Qatar has achieved in hosting the first World Cup tournament on Arab ground.
Data collected from face-to-face interviews with high figures in Qatar and football fans who were in the country to attend the matches notably indicates that sports culture and cultural bridging have a relatively enduring and consistent influence on people's perceptions of a country and on the manifestation of sports events in general.Given that the primary explanation of the research findings stems from several factors.For example, cultural diplomacy, environmentally friendly innovations, peace-making efforts, and social cultural exchanging initiatives aim at creating a suitable atmosphere where a combination of cultures, nationalities, and beliefs could come together while embracing the hosting country's customs and values-contrary to the commonly shared low expectations of a country which has never organized a similar global event.This strong indication that is consistent with previous studies regarding sports and culture.Thus, to understand the significant role of cultural specificity in sports, it is assumed that one must take into account the conditions, challenges, and potentials of a country, its people and institutions.Remarkably, Qatar managed to afford a relatively new version of the World Cup, and such a delicate mission would not have been possible unless several decisive factors combined.
In addition, we have to note that the conscious implementation of the fundamental principles of organizational psychology and the opening of more opportunities for cultural exchange has played a essential role in the Qatari experience as the world has become more interested in exploring the recently discovered home of football fans.
We should also highlight that gender differences in this research have been minimal.Therefore, information collected from both men and women was beneficial and vital to acquire a broad spectrum of perceptions and opinions to serve the study aims.

Table ( 1
) shows the distribution of the study sample based on gender, age, and mother tongue.

Table ( 1 ) :
Distribution of the study sample and percentage, and frequency due to the gender, age, mother tongue

Table ( 3
) shows the results of the study question:

Table ( 3
): Means, standard deviations and percentages of each item, and the total score of considerate Qatar of values, customs, and requirements of different cultures during World Cup 2022 preparations

Table ( 3
) shows that the total score of considerate Qatar of values, customs, and requirements of different cultures during World Cup 2022 preparations indicated a high degree with (M=4.19,SD=.70383, % 83.98), item (1) (M=4.26,SD=.88122, 85.25%), indicating that Qatar considered the values, customs, and requirements of different cultures during the preparations for the World Cup 2022.

Table ( 4
): Means, standard deviations and percentages of each item, and the total score of practiced Qatar cultural promotion to serve the Arab and Islamic culture

Table ( 5
): Means, standard deviations and percentages of each item, and the total score of the extent to which Qatar faces incitement campaigns against the media, which it arranged in advance, before and during the World Cup

Table ( 6): Means
, standard deviations and percentages of each item, and the total score of the extent to which Qatar uses official institutions to spread culture during the preparation and implementation of the World Cup activities

Table ( 7
): Results of t-test for the independent sample on the level of World Cup 2022 in Qatar being able to achieve cultural rapprochement through cultural diplomacy due to the gender variable

Table ( 8
): Results of the one-way ANOVA test for the level of World Cup 2022 in Qatar being able to achieve cultural rapprochement through cultural diplomacy, due to the age variable

Table ( 9
): Results of one-way ANOVA test for the level of World Cup 2022 in Qatar being able to achieve cultural rapprochement through cultural diplomacy due to mother tongue variable