Qatar security guards trapped in 'forced labour': Amnesty

Yahoo – AFP, April 7, 2022 

Concern for the human rights of Qatar's army of migrant labourers has refused to go
 away as the World Cup nears, despite promised reforms by the emirate's rulers
(AFP/Tobias SCHWARZ) (Tobias SCHWARZ)

The UN labour agency joined Amnesty International Thursday in calling on World Cup hosts Qatar to protect thousands of security guards who a report said were victims of "forced labour". 

Guards posted at World Cup stadiums, ministries and offices often had to work months, sometimes years, without a day off, Amnesty said in a study. 

Qatar, where the World Cup starts on November 21, insists it has cracked down on hundreds of "unscrupulous" companies, but acknowledged that abuses still take place. 

An army of migrant labourers from Africa and Asia work as poorly paid guards across the tiny emirate whose energy wealth has fuelled a construction boom. Thousands more are being taken on for the World Cup. 

Amnesty said 34 current or former guards it interviewed "described routinely working 12 hours a day, seven days a week -- often for months or even years on end without a day off". One Bangladeshi guard said he did not get a day off for three years. 

"Physically and emotionally exhausted, workers kept reporting for duty under threat of financial penalties -- or worse, contract termination or deportation," said Stephen Cockburn, an Amnesty researcher. 

Those who took a legal weekly day off often had wages cut, Amnesty added. Guards also lost money for taking a toilet break without getting cover, taking a day off sick or just wearing their uniform "improperly". 

The men complained that they had to work outside in Qatar's notorious summer, when temperatures hit 50 degrees Celsius (122 Fahrenheit). 

Guards from Uganda and Kenya said they had more jobs in the heat and received lower wages than other nationalities. 

Work or deportation

Following previous criticism, Qatar in 2017 introduced a minimum wage, cut the hours that can be worked in heat and ended part of a system which forced migrant workers to seek employers' permission to change jobs or even leave the country. 

But Amnesty said there is still a "massive power imbalance" between employers and migrant workers in Qatar, where trade unions are banned. 

"Qatar's laws on working time for security guards are clear but are too often violated," said Max Tunon, head of the UN's International Labour Organisation office in Doha. 

Overtime must be "voluntary, limited and paid at a higher rate" in line with the law, he added. 

In a veiled reference to World Cup organisers and other major Qatari enterprises, Tunon said: "Clients contracting security companies should do their due diligence and monitor the treatment of guards, including their working hours and living conditions." 

Qatar's World Cup Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy confirmed that three security companies involved in last year's Club World Cup and FIFA Arab Cup tournaments had been "blacklisted" from future projects. 

The three were found to be in "completely unacceptable" breaches of its Workers Welfare Standards. 

The committee said that in all, seven contractors had been blacklisted from its projects and more than 220 were on a watchlist. Fifty companies had been blocked by the labour ministry from World Cup projects. 

The committee said there will always be "contractors attempting to beat the system, regardless of stringent regulations or monitoring." 

The labour ministry said cases of abuse were falling and the Amnesty report had ignored progress made in Qatar since it was awarded the World Cup in 2010. "The reality is that no other country has come so far so quickly, but for some the pace of change will never be fast enough."

Gay Australian footballer 'scared' to play in Qatar

Yahoo – AFP, 8 November 2021 

Australian footballer Josh Cavallo has said he would be scared to play in
Qatar (AFP/Handout)

Australian footballer Josh Cavallo, who came out as gay last month, has revealed he would be scared to play at the upcoming World Cup in Qatar because of the country's criminalisation of homosexuality. 

The 21-year-old, who plays for Adelaide United in Australia's A-League, is the only known gay footballer playing in a top-flight men's league. 

His announcement last month won plaudits from around the world, including from legendary Swedish forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic and US talk show host Ellen DeGeneres. 

But the midfielder -- who has played for Australia at the under-20 level but has yet to be called up for the senior side -- indicated he was not sure what he would do if he were selected to play at the 2022 World Cup. 

"I read something along the lines of that [they] give the death penalty for gay people in Qatar, so it's something I'm very scared [of] and wouldn't really want to go to Qatar for that," he told the Guardian's Today in Focus podcast. 

"And that saddens me. At the end of the day the World Cup is in Qatar and one of the greatest achievements as a professional footballer is to play for your country, and to know that this is in a country that doesn't support gay people and puts us at risk of our own life, that does scare me and makes me re-evaluate -- is my life more important than doing something really good in my career?" 

Since being selected as host in 2010, Qatar has faced searing criticism for its treatment of LGBT people, as well as its record on women's rights and labour issues. 

Last year a report from the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) said sources indicated the death penalty could potentially be used as punishment for consensual homosexual sex in Qatar. 

The chief executive of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, Nasser al-Khater, said in 2019 that "any fan, of any gender, (sexual) orientation, religion, race (should) rest assured that Qatar is one of the most safe countries in the world -- and they'll all be welcome here". 

However, he stressed that "public displays of affection are frowned upon, it's not part of our culture -- but that goes across the board to everybody". 

The last World Cup was held in Russia, where queer activism was severely restricted under a 2013 "gay propaganda" law forbidding the promotion of "non-traditional sexual relationships" to minors. 

Despite football's immense popularity worldwide only a few male footballers have ever come out as gay, mostly after retirement to avoid the prospect of taunts from the terraces. 

The first professional player to come out while still playing was Britain's Justin Fashanu in 1990, but he never found acceptance in the game and hanged himself in 1998.

Qatar faces scrutiny after women 'forcibly examined'

Yahoo – AFP, Gregory Walton, October 27, 2020 

Qatar Airways crew prepare to enter Sydney international airport to fly a repatriation
flight back to France on April 2, 2020, amid the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic

Qatar Airways crew prepare to enter Sydney international airport to fly a repatriation flight back to France on April 2, 2020, amid the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic

Revelations that passengers flying through Doha were forced to endure vaginal inspections have upended Qatar's efforts to boost its reputation before the Gulf state hosts World Cup 2022, experts say. 

Officers marched women off a Sydney-bound Qatar Airways flight earlier this month and forced them to undergo intimate examinations after a newborn baby was found abandoned in an airport bathroom. 

The incident sparked a diplomatic row between Australia and Qatar and comes as a setback for the gas-rich emirate, which has worked extensively to grow its soft power. 

Doha has invested heavily in its airline, Al-Jazeera broadcaster and social projects that include women's health and educational initiatives. 

But the conservative Muslim monarchy, where sex and childbirth out of wedlock are still punishable by jail, has struggled to reassure critics that its promises on women's rights, labour relations and democracy are credible. 

Mark Gell, founder of Sydney-based consultancy Reputation Edge, said "it could get out of hand from a reputational point of view for the airline", the state-run Qatar Airways. 

"Was it the airline's responsibility? We don't know. But absolutely it could impact their business," he told AFP. 

"If I shared this with my wife, I'm sure she'd turn around and say 'I'm never going through there again'." 

Adverts packed with top-flight footballers including Neymar have aired worldwide, touting Qatar Airways' extensive network, ultra-modern aircraft and glitzy Doha airport hub. 

World Cup 2022 host Qatar has struggled to reassure critics that its promises
on women's rights, labour relations and democracy are credible

Australia is a particularly important market for the carrier, which before the coronavirus pandemic served six cities Down Under and promoted repatriation flights for stranded nationals when other airlines grounded their fleets. 

'Avoid Qatar Airways' 

Alex Oliver of Sydney-based think tank the Lowy Institute said Australians -- especially women -- would "avoid Qatar Airways like the plague" after the October 2 incident. 

"It's a shocking move from a country that has spent billions of state funds on attempting to convey perceptions of a more liberal Gulf state," she said. 

But it is sport on which Qatar has staked its reputation, winning not just the 2022 World Cup and bidding for summer Olympics but also pouring cash into developing sport in poorer countries. 

Qatar has nonetheless had to contain several public relations crises in recent years linked to its shock victory in the competition to host the 2022 football tournament. 

As it began to ramp up construction, rights groups condemned Qatar's treatment of the hundreds of thousands of migrant labourers recruited from South Asia and other developing countries. 

Activists have long called on Qatar to decriminalise "love cases", women who become pregnant outside of marriage and give birth without the help of medics who are required to report such cases. 

Human Rights Watch told AFP Qatar should "examine the policy that led to the event in the first place".

Doha has invested heavily in its airline, Al-Jazeera broadcaster and social
projects to boost its image

'Betrayed' 

The ultra-wealthy country of 2.75 million people has also faced scrutiny over LGBT rights, jihadist fundraising, and its overseas military interventions since its 2010 victory in the battle to host the global soccer spectacle. 

Qatar's government has yet to address the airport allegations, despite a furious rebuke by Australia's Foreign Minister Marise Payne who called the incident "grossly disturbing, offensive (and) concerning". 

Late on Sunday, airport management released a statement claiming that "individuals who had access to the specific area of the airport where the newborn infant was found were asked to assist in the query". 

It gave no details about the procedures they were required to undergo and made no apology for the incident, but said the child was still alive and being cared for. 

Gell said it would not be enough for the airport management to downplay the allegations and suggest the women had merely been asked to help trace the abandoned baby's mother. 

"That's not going to hold up. In fact, that'll probably inflame it, to suggest that these women have voluntarily done this. I would find that difficult to believe," he said. 

Oliver said she was surprised the response "was so hardline and intransigent". 

"With the World Cup now getting very close, you would expect it to be back-pedalling madly." 

Expatriate women in Doha have reacted with shock and fear to the disclosures. 

"I can't help but think of my daughters if they had been on that plane," said one expatriate woman living in Doha who declined to be named for fear of retribution. 

"It makes me sick. I feel betrayed by the country I call home," said another.

Qatar Enacts Key Worker Reforms Amid Criticism

Barrons – AFP, August 30, 2020

Workers on scaffolding at Khalifa International Stadium in the Qatari capital Doha.

Qatar on Sunday introduced a $275 monthly minimum wage and simplified the process for changing employers, the labour ministry said, following criticism of its treatment of foreign labourers.

It comes a week after a stinging Human Rights Watch (HRW) report highlighted the shortcomings of past efforts to improve conditions for the migrant labourers who make up almost 90 percent of the population.

The new rules, which were announced last October 16 but have only now been signed into law, abolish the requirement that workers obtain a "no objection" certificate from their employer to change jobs.

They require all workers, including domestic staff, be paid at least 1,000 riyals ($275) for a month of full-time work -- equivalent to around $1.30 an hour.

Employers are also required to either provide bed and board, or an additional 800 riyal a month allowance for food and accommodation and will have six months to implement the new minimum wage.

Previously, the temporary minimum wage was set at 750 riyals ($206) a month.

"The labour ministry has today taken a major step forward in its labour reform programme by introducing a non-discriminatory minimum wage and removing the no-objection certificate requirement," it said in a statement.

The ministry said the changes would "boost investment in the local economy and drive economic growth".

World Cup milestone

Qatar has made a series of reforms to its employment regulations since being selected to host the 2022 World Cup, which has required a vast programme of construction dependent on foreign workers.

Workers on scaffolding at Khalifa International Stadium in the Qatari capital Doha.

"Qatar is the first country in the Middle East to have a minimum wage for all workers without discrimination, whether domestic workers or private sector workers," Qatar's assistant under-secretary for labour affairs, Mohammed Hassan al-Obaidly, told AFP.

Rights groups have long said Qatar's system -- the same one used across the Gulf -- of private companies rather than the state sponsoring individual workers fuels abuses.

Amnesty International said the requirement to have an employer's agreement before changing jobs had "left migrant workers in Qatar at the mercy of abusive employers".

"We welcome the enactment of these laws, and now call on the Qatari authorities to ensure they are swiftly and properly implemented," said Steve Cockburn, Amnesty's head of economic and social justice.

Vani Sarasawthi, director of projects at the Migrant Rights non-governmental group, said she had already received a flurry of messages about the changes from workers.

HRW said last week that some workers in Qatar were struggling to eat because employers were illegally withholding salaries as economic conditions worsen amid the coronavirus crisis.

The government insisted HRW's survey of 93 migrant workers at 60 companies or employers was not representative and that "nearly all individuals who come to Qatar for employment never experience any form of wage abuse".

Qatar said on Sunday that penalties for non-payment of wages had been increased.

The UN International Labour Organization welcomed the package of reforms, calling them a "historic move".

"Qatar has delivered on a commitment. One that will give workers more freedom and protection, and employers more choice," said Guy Ryder, the ILO director general.

More than two million foreigners work in Qatar, many employed directly or indirectly on vast infrastructure projects for the World Cup.

"The World Cup is a milestone in Qatar's long-term development strategy. In the interests of our country, we will continue to introduce new reforms that benefit the economy, businesses and the people who come to work here," Obaidly said.

Qatar imposes mandatory masks on pain of prison

TRTWORLD – AFP, 17 May 2020

More than 30,000 people have tested positive for Covid-19 in the tiny Gulf country — 1.1 percent of the 2.75 million population — although just 15 people have died.

In this file photo taken on March 16, 2020 A man wearing a mask as a precaution
against Covid-19 coronavirus disease, walks along the Doha corniche in the Qatari
capital. (AFP)

Qatar on Sunday began enforcing the world's toughest penalties of up to three years' imprisonment for failing to wear masks in public, as it battles one of the world's highest coronavirus infection rates.

More than 30,000 people have tested positive for Covid-19 in the tiny Gulf country — 1.1 percent of the 2.75 million population — although just 15 people have died.

Only the micro-states of San Marino and the Vatican had higher per capita infection rates, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

Violators of Qatar's new rules will face up to three years in jail and fines of as much as $55,000.

Drivers alone in their vehicles are exempt from the requirement, but several expats told AFP that police were stopping cars at checkpoints to warn them of the new rules before they came into force.

Wearing a mask is currently mandatory in around 50 countries, although scientists are divided on their effectiveness.

Authorities in Chad have made it an offence to be unmasked in public, on pain of 15 days in prison. In Morocco similar rules can see violators jailed for three months and fined up to $130.

Qatari authorities have warned that gatherings during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan may have increased infections.

Abdullatif al-Khal, co-chair of Qatar's National Pandemic Preparedness Committee, said Thursday that there was "a huge risk in gatherings of families" for Ramadan meals.

"(They) led to a significant increase in the number of infections among Qataris," he said.

Neighbouring Saudi Arabia will enforce a round-the-clock nationwide curfew during the five-day Eid al Fitr holiday later this month to fight the coronavirus.

Labourers at risk

Mosques, along with schools, malls, and restaurants remain closed in Qatar to prevent the disease's spread.

But construction sites remain open as Qatar prepares to host the 2022 World Cup, although foremen and government inspectors are attempting to enforce social distancing rules.

Officials have said workers at three stadiums have tested positive for the highly contagious respiratory virus. Masks have been compulsory for construction workers since April 26.

Tens of thousands of migrant labourers were quarantined in Doha's gritty Industrial Area after a number of infections were confirmed there in mid-March, but authorities have begun to ease restrictions.

Khal said that most new cases were among migrant workers, although there has been a jump in infections among Qataris. He said the country had not yet reached the peak of its contagion.

Rights groups have warned that Gulf labourers' cramped living conditions, communal food preparation areas and shared bathrooms could undermine social distancing efforts and speed up the spread of the virus.

Everyone welcome? Gay football fans prepare for Qatar

Yahoo – AFP, Gregory Walton, Dec 16, 2019

The head of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Nasser al-Khater says "any fan, of
any gender, orientation, religion, race (should) rest assured that Qatar is one of
the most safe countries in the world -- and they'll all be welcome here" (AFP Photo)

Doha (AFP) - World Cup 2022 host Qatar has given the clearest indication yet that LGBT fans will be welcome, engaging with gay supporters as it hosts the Club World Cup -- despite criminalising homosexuality.

Organisers of the 2022 soccer spectacle travelled to Britain in recent months to meet Liverpool fan clubs including the side's gay supporters' group, individuals briefed on the meeting have told AFP.

Paul Amann, founder of Liverpool's LGBT supporters' club Kop Outs, then undertook a fact-finding mission to Doha along with his husband in November at the invitation of the World Cup organisers.

"I'm very satisfied that their approach is to provide an 'everyone is welcome' ethos that does include respect, albeit through privacy," he told AFP. "I'm not sure if rainbow flags generally will ever be accepted 'in-country', but maybe in stadia."

Amman said he felt "paranoia is not needed as people will not pry into your personal business".

"There was clearly some apprehension, indeed my husband said on the eve of flying that he wished he had not agreed to go," the 50-year-old council worker wrote in a report for Kop Outs that he shared with AFP.

'Being gay is haram'

The Kop Outs boast 150 full members and thousands of followers on social media. It is unclear how many LGBT fans from Liverpool and the other six teams participating in the Club Cup will make the journey to the Gulf for the tournament.

Club chief executive Peter Moore said in November that Liverpool had "received a number of assurances" on the issue from Qatari authorities.

There are no openly gay or bisexual players in the English men's Premier League, 

but major clubs have implemented zero-tolerance policies for homophobia and 

embraced the "rainbow laces" campaign against discrimination (AFP Photo/Paul ELLIS)

There are no openly gay or bisexual players in the English men's Premier League, but major clubs have implemented zero-tolerance policies for homophobia and embraced the "rainbow laces" campaign against discrimination.

Openly LGBT players are well represented in the English women's game however, with former Lionesses captain, the defender Casey Stoney, the best known.

The chief executive of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Nasser al-Khater said in September that "any fan, of any gender, (sexual) orientation, religion, race (should) rest assured that Qatar is one of the most safe countries in the world -- and they'll all be welcome here".

However he stressed that "public displays of affection are frowned upon, it's not part of our culture -- but that goes across the board to everybody".

Amann said that "if people basically observe the no PDA advice, then I can't see them being necessarily identifiable".

Though there are no openly gay venues in Doha, a handful of bars are known to be more gay-friendly and attract a loyal clientele of airline staff, hospitality workers and other expatriates.

Web users do not face restrictions accessing gay dating apps like Grindr in Qatar, unlike other Gulf countries, although users rarely display identifiable pictures.

"We are living in a society where gay people are not recognised yet. Being gay is haram to their religion," said a gay barman from the Philippines living in the conservative Muslim country who spoke on condition of anonymity.

"I think Qatar is not ready for it yet."

He shared a commonly held fear that police monitor gay apps and periodically deport homosexuals -- although there is limited evidence for this.

Homosexuality is illegal in Qatar, with some gay visitors describing the country 

as "challenging" (AFP Photo/STR)

During a recent visit by the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, three independent experts did however warn that at least one transgender person had been detained "until they changed their behaviour".

The experts, who are independent of the UN, also reported the detention of individuals because of crimes linked to their sexuality.

"No one should be detained because of who they love," said group member Elina Steinerte, a Latvian human rights expert.

'Police yourself'

A gay choreographer visiting Qatar from South Africa described the country as "challenging".

"The hardest thing is not being able to show any public displays of affection," said the man who also declined to be named.

"You don't quite realise how difficult it is to police yourself until you have to."

During the last World Cup in Russia, international anti-discrimination network FARE opened a match-screening area for gay and ethnic minority football fans in Moscow.

The LGBT-friendly venue opened despite queer activism being severely restricted in Russia under a 2013 "gay propaganda" law forbidding the promotion of "non-traditional sexual relationships" to minors.

Neither FIFA nor the Qatari Supreme Committee organisers have so far publicised any special measures for gay fans ahead of the World Cup.

Pavel Klymenko of FARE said "we do have in mind something similar (for 2022) but need to see what is possible".

"Qataris are good at engaging with people, assuring them all is fine -- like with the Liverpool LGBT group. But in reality the level of tolerance for these issues might be way lower than in Russia."

Qatar easing of exit visa system comes into force

Yahoo – AFP, David HARDING, Oct 28, 2018

Foreign labourers leave the construction site of the Al-Wakrah stadium in
Doha, Qatar, after finishing work on May 4, 2015 (AFP Photo/
MARWAN NAAMANI)

Doha (AFP) - Long-awaited reform of Qatar's controversial exit visa system, which requires foreign workers to obtain their bosses' permission to leave the country, came into force on Sunday, the government said.

"Law No. 13 of 2018... regulating the entry, exit and residency of expatriates is being implemented starting today," the interior ministry announced on Twitter.

Qatar announced in September it had approved legislation to scrap the visa system -- a lynchpin of the country's "kafala", or sponsorship, system which many liken to modern-day slavery.

Under the new law, all but five percent of a company's workforce -- reportedly those in the most senior positions -- can leave without prior permission from employers.

Those not allowed to leave Qatar "for any reason" can file a complaint to the Expatriate Exit Grievance Committee that will "take a decision within three working days", the ministry said.

Some anxious workers took to government social media websites on Sunday, to ask how they could find out if they were among the five per cent.

Qatar's labour minister, Issa al-Nuaimi, said he was "exceptionally pleased" with the implementation of the new law.

"We are proud that the state of Qatar has become an example and a model for labour reform in the region," he told AFP.

Nuaimi added that Qatar wanted to give workers in the country, the "best standards possible".

Scrapping the exit permit is the biggest announcement made so far since Qatar agreed last November to enter into a three-year agreement with the UN's International Labour Organization (ILO) to oversee reform.

The ILO's Houtan Homayounpour, head of the labour agency's project office in Doha, said on Twitter that the reform "will have a direct and positive impact on the lives of migrant workers".

The football World Cup 2022 host has come under intense pressure to reform its labour laws, which have been repeatedly denounced by human rights groups.

Critics have long argued for abolition of the exit visa system.

Research published last year by rights group Migrant-Rights.org found around a quarter of all exit visa requests were denied by the government.

Vani Saraswathi, associate editor and director of projects with Migrant-Rights.org, said the reform was "long overdue and welcome", but added a warning.

"We have to be cautious about celebrating it as a huge development," she said.

"Passport confiscation is still rampant and the law also allows for employers to hold passports with the workers' permission."

She also noted that the law does not cover domestic workers, often seen as the most vulnerable.

Rights groups have argued that without the proper safeguards, relaxation of the visa system could lead to unscrupulous employers holding workers' passports.

A study earlier this year by Qatar University's Social and Economic Survey Research found that 53 per cent of migrant workers said their bosses held their passports.

There are some two million foreign workers in Qatar.

Macron calls for 'calm' in Gulf crisis: presidency

Yahoo – AFP, June 6, 2017

French President Emmanuel Macron spoke by phone with Qatari leader Sheikh
Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and restated the "importance of preserving
stability in the region" (AFP Photo/GEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT)

Paris (AFP) - French President Emmanuel Macron called for unity among Gulf states on Tuesday, saying he was ready to back "all initiatives to encourage calm".

Macron spoke by phone with Qatari leader Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and restated the "importance of preserving stability in the region". He also reaffirmed France's readiness to stay in contact with all parties involved, the president's office said in a statement.

Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates severed diplomatic ties and transport links with Qatar on Monday, accusing it of supporting extremism.

US President Donald Trump threw his weight behind the effort spearheaded by Riyadh, despite Qatar's role in hosting US military operations in the fight against Islamic State (IS) extremism.

The Gulf states "said they would take a hard line on funding... extremism, and all reference was pointing to Qatar. Perhaps this will be the beginning of the end to the horror of terrorism!" Trump said on Twitter.

Related Articles:

Football: Gulf crisis could hit Qatar 2022

About 90 percent of Qatar's population of 2.4 million people are foreigners pic.twitter.com/KRzxwhclDo

— AFP news agency (@AFP) June 6, 2017

Football: Gulf crisis could hit Qatar 2022

Yahoo – AFP, David Harding, Jun 5, 2017

A picture taken on May 18, 2017, shows a general view of the Khalifa International
Stadium in Doha after it was refurbished ahead of the Qatar 2022 FIFA World
Cup (AFP Photo/KARIM JAAFAR)

Doha (AFP) - The diplomatic crisis sweeping the Gulf could invigorate a campaign by critics of Qatar to strip Doha of the 2022 World Cup, experts said Monday.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Egypt and Yemen were among those to cut diplomatic ties with Qatar on the grounds that Doha supported extremist groups "that aim to destabilise the region".

One of the areas that could feel the impact is Qatar's hosting of the World Cup, football's biggest tournament, in five years' time.

"This is a massive escalation in pressure on Qatar," said Kristian Ulrichsen, a Gulf analyst with the Baker Institute at Rice University in Houston. "I think it will really have an impact if it lasts any time."

Since being controversially chosen by FIFA in 2010 as the host, Qatar has maintained that it is a politically secure nation despite its location in a volatile region.

Doha has also emphasised that the tournament serves the entire Gulf, and not just the tiny gas-rich emirate.

Nasser Al-Khater, a senior figure with Qatar's World Cup organising body, recently claimed that up to 1.3 million fans would visit Doha in 2022, the majority from the Gulf and "mainly from Saudi Arabia".

But current events may challenge those notions, Ulrichsen said.

"One of its pitches (to secure the World Cup) was that Qatar is one of the most stable countries in the Middle East," he told AFP.

'Looking over their shoulder'

With that potentially called into question -- and the fact that there are other countries which could host the event at little notice -- organisers may be getting anxious, Ulrichsen said.

"Qatar will know that there are alternatives, so they will be looking over their shoulder," he said.

Suggestions have been made previously that the United States, one of the countries that lost the race for the 2022 competition to Qatar, could take over hosting duties if necessary.

The crisis that erupted on Monday came only a few weeks after US President Donald Trump visited Saudi Arabia to cement ties with Riyadh and called for Muslim countries to unite against extremism.

In a brief statement sent to AFP, football's governing body FIFA said it was "in regular contact" with Qatar 2022 organisers and had "no further comments for the time being".

Simon Chadwick, professor of sports enterprise at Britain's Salford University, said the diplomatic crisis "raises an important issue of risk assessment and contingency planning" for the World Cup.

"The closer we get to 2022, the more Qatar becomes exposed. In terms of reputation and embarrassment, this is a big issue for Qatar," he said.

"As a country, Qatar likes to hedge, in regional terms it hedges and I think it's being forced by countries and organisations to stop that. I think there's an awful lot to be resolved in five years."

Sponsorship deal cancelled

Already the first sporting victim of the crisis has been claimed.

Saudi football club Al-Ahli said just hours after the cut in diplomatic ties that it would end its financial association with Qatar Airways, taking to Twitter to announce "the termination of the sponsorship contract between the club and Qatar Airways".

A three-year sponsorship deal, worth an estimated $16 million a season (14 million euros) with the Doha-based carrier was originally signed in October 2014 and renewed in May this year.

Another potential early victim could be this year's Gulf Cup of Nations, scheduled to take place in December in Doha.

Qatar had stepped in as host when Kuwait was stopped from hosting following its ban from FIFA.

Among the nations set to take part include Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, who all cut diplomatic ties on Monday.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE also announced they were suspending flights to Qatar and banned their citizens from travelling to Doha.

Winning the right to host the 2022 World Cup was a major coup for Qatar, which has used its natural gas riches to promote its international profile. The country has said it is spending almost $500 million every week on major infrastructure projects related to the tournament.

Map of the Middle East showing countries which have severed diplomatic relations with Qatar pic.twitter.com/NVlrWuwqfJ

— AFP news agency (@AFP) June 5, 2017

Dutch woman, 22, arrested in Qatar after reporting her rape

DutchNews, June 11, 2016

A Qatari woman walks in front of the city skyline in Doha. Photo: AP/
Kamran Jebreili

 A 22-year-old Dutch woman from Utrecht has been in jail in Qatar since March since making a police report she had been raped, Dutch media reported on Saturday. 

The woman, named in the media as Laura, faces being charged with having sex outside marriage, which carries a jail term of up to three years 

The Dutch foreign ministry confirmed on Saturday that Laura has been arrested but said she had not yet been charged with anything. 

Laura had gone out dancing at the Crystal Lounge in the Doha Hotel, a popular hangout with foreign tourists where alcohol is permitted, the Telegraaf said. She was on holiday in Qatar with a friend called Lisa, her mother told the Telegraaf. 

According to Laura’s family’s lawyer, she went to the police after waking up in a strange apartment and realising she had been raped. She thinks it likely her drink was drugged and had flashbacks of being taken from the hotel in a taxi by an Arab man, lawyer Brian Lokollo told Radio 1 news. 

Marriage

The man she claims attacked her has also been arrested. According to one newspaper report, he says that he paid Laura to have sex with him. 

Dutch media say Laura is coming under considerable pressure from her alleged attacker’s family to marry the man, so that both would be let off without any charge.

‘I have recommended against this, not only because it would be a appalling thing to do, but I don’t know what the other consequences would be,’ Lokollo said. 

Embassy

A foreign ministry spokesman said an official had been in court with Laura and she had been provided with a list of lawyers but that she wanted to make her own arrangements. Another hearing will take place on Monday, the spokesman said.’Our main aim is to ensure a fair trial,’ he is quoted as saying. 

MPs have urged foreign minister Bert Koenders to make a statement about the situation, in particular the role of the embassy in helping the woman and her family. 

They also want answers on claims it took three weeks before anyone from the embassy visited Laura in jail.

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