Mesmerising opening ceremony draws attention of global media
The Independent newspaper confirmed in a report on the opening ceremony that, Qatar has given the World Cup an Arab taste, praising the opening ceremony of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, which was hosted at Al Bayt Stadium, which is inspired by the Bedouin heritage tent.
The newspaper noted the lining up of Arab horses outside Al Bayt Stadium, as well as art performances that combine Arab traditions and global culture, as well as honouring all teams participating in the tournament and host countries for previous editions of the tournament and volunteers.
The newspaper highlighted the welcome of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani at the opening of the tournament of all participants and followers of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, where His Highness said: “From Qatar, from an Arab country, I welcome everyone to the World Cup 2022. We have worked hard, along with many people, to make it one of the most successful tournaments. We have exerted all efforts and invested for the good of all humanity. Finally, we have reached the opening day, the day that you have been eagerly waiting for.”
For its part, CNN Arabic, described the opening ceremony of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 as historic, noting that the ceremony held at Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor city, captured the world’s attention and was also centred on the rapprochement of all peoples, overcoming differences, through humanity and respect. Also, CNN Arabic praised the segments of the ceremony, which saw verses from the Holy Qur’an recited by the Qatari youth, Ghanem alMuftah, in addition to the presence of the renowned American actor, Morgan Freeman, stressing that the opening ceremony sparked a wide interaction in the media, among the audiences and football fans around the world.
The French channel France 24 broadcasted a report titled, “World Cup 2022...the Amir of Qatar welcomes everyone at the opening ceremony which blended the Qatari traditions and global culture,” noting the opening of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 at Al Bayt Stadium in the presence of 60,000 spectators, led by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, who delivered a speech welcoming the attendees and calling for benefiting from the human depth of the sports event and rejecting differences.
The channel highlighted the statement of the Amir “We have worked hard, along with many people, to make it one of the most successful tournaments.
“We have exerted all efforts and invested for the good of all humanity. Finally, we have reached the opening day, the day that you have been eagerly waiting for.” It also shed light on His Highness’s statement: “People of different races, nationalities, faiths and orientations will gather here in Qatar, and around screens on all continents to share the same exciting moments. How beautiful it is for people to put aside what divides them in order to celebrate their diversity and what brings them together at the same time.”
Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) commended the opening ceremony of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, which included paintings, folkloric performances and encouragement for each team participating in the tournament, noting that it began with an East-West dialogue represented by the Qatari youth, Ghanem al-Muftah, and the West represented by the famous American Actor Morgan Freeman. The ceremony also featured a mix of folk art paintings of the Gulf region such as exhibits and performances of different cultures around the world. For its part, Jordan’s Petra News Agency said the opening ceremony was dazzling, employing modern technology FIFA said was being for the first time in the World Cup. The agency added that Qatar entered history books, writing a new chapter of the World Cup. The Jordanian News Agency indicated that the current version of the World Cup is characterised by exceptional standards, foremost of which is the proximity of the distances between the stadiums, as all the stadiums of the tournament are located in an area that does not exceed 75km at furthest, which facilitates the movement and training of teams participating in the tournament.
For its part, the Algerian news agency said that the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 opening ceremony saw the East, with a Qatari flavour, meet the modernity of the West.
It added that the ceremony constituted a contemporary global show that presents an important message coming out of the great Arab world to the whole world, and through it an invitation was extended to meet in one unit, and to link bridges between all differences in race, culture, colour and nationality, to fill all distances with acceptance, respect and coexistence. Anadolu Agency meanwhile said that the opening ceremony took place among festive cheers. The agency said the ceremony began with the Holy Qur’an recited by Ghanem al-Muftah, and a dialogue between the East-West emphasising the importance of bridging cultural differences.