Sport as an Element of Qatar’s Soft Power

Abstract

Until recently, the State of Qatar remained little recognized throughout the world. However, as a result of a well-considered and long-term brand building strategy, linked closely to foreign and security policy, Qatar has become not only a globally recognized country, but also – due to the disproportion between its geographical size and its impact on international activities – a trustworthy brand that is known and respected in the most important political and business circles. The main goal of this paper is to analyze one of the elements of Qatar’s brand building strategy, which is the use of sport for political purposes, and to answer the question as to what degree sport in the analyzed case can help with accomplishing those strategic objectives. To do so, the paper will analyze both the internal and external (international) dimensions of Qatar’s sports policy.