Cornerstone boss hits out at Qatari-funded media attack
Furor over claims that Qatar 2022 World Cup may be moved
LONDON: A management consultancy chief who published a report that warned the 2022 Qatar World Cup could be moved, has hit out at Qatari-funded media for attacking him.
It follows the publication of a report by Cornerstone Global, a management consultancy focused on the Middle East and founded by Ghanem Nuseibeh.
It raised questions over whether the event would go ahead as planned in Doha based on interviews with tournament insiders.
“I find it quite amusing that Qatari-funded media have launched (an) attack against me rather than respond to findings of a report done by my firm,” Ghanem Nuseibeh tweeted on Saturday.
Qatar 2022’s Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy questioned the motives of the report, and said the authors had an “affiliation to the countries blockading Qatar” — a reference to the Anti-Terror Quartet (ATQ) comprising Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt and the UAE.
They have imposed a boycott of the country since June 5, cutting diplomatic ties as well as trade and transport links, citing Doha’s alleged support of terror groups. The Qatari committee responsible for planning the tournament said: “There is absolutely no risk to the future of the first World Cup in the Middle East.”
The Cornerstone report, which attracted widespread media coverage, is titled “Qatar in focus: Is the FIFA World Cup 2022 in danger?”
It claims that “tournament insiders and regional experts have both stated to us that it is far from certain Doha will actually host the tournament” and that “Western diplomats have privately stated they do not know whether or not the tournament will take place as planned.”