Qatar’s Human Rights Record in the World’s Spotlight

Qatar, a country ruled by a monarchic authoritarian government, is hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Hosting the top global football tournament is the result of a decade-long project by the government of Qatar to strategically exploit the prestige and popular appeal of sports to grow its global influence, cultivate a favorable image in popular culture, and boost its economy. In 2014, a Qatari official described the World Cup as a catalyst of expedited social progress in the Gulf country. Over the years, Qatari and FIFA officials asserted that Qatar progressed, citing legal reforms on various human rights concerns.