Alkass Digital
Doha, Qatar- H.E. Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary General of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC), highlighted the power of sports in building bridges.
He was speaking during the ‘Sports & Digital Diplomacy: A Vision for the Future’ summit, which was organised by the University of Oxford, in collaboration with SOAS University, London, on Monday.
“Nothing brings people together – and breaks down social barriers – like sport,” said Al Thawadi and added: People’s passion for sport – in particular football – transcends linguistic and sociocultural differences.”
“In 2022, fans from across the world will visit Qatar, with the vast majority visiting an Arab and Middle Eastern country for the first time. And like we saw this summer in Russia, I’m confident that through football, people will see our country and region in a positive light. Negative stereotypes will be dispelled and – thanks to football – we will bridge the gap between East and West,” he said.
On Generation Amazing, one of the SC’s flagship legacy programmes, Al Thawadi said: “Our Generation Amazing programme, which harnesses the power of football to bring people together and teach new skills, is currently active in seven countries. Whether it’s leadership, teamwork or communication skills, football helps us to provide people with the skills they need to succeed in all areas of their lives.”
Also, during the event, the SC’s Communications Director, Fatma Al Nuaimi, discussed digital diplomacy, including Qatar’s approach to sharing information.
“Social media helps us to share our messages directly with members of the public,” said Al Nuaimi. “Social media also allows us to have two-way conversations, which I see as a positive when it comes to shaping the fan experience in 2022."