Relations between London and Doha have suddenly become tense in recent days. After weeks of criticism in the British media against the Qatar World Cup, which led to the banning of the emirate's advertisements on the London Underground and buses, the emirate's authorities are threatening to withdraw their investments from the British capital. The information was revealed on Friday, November 25 by the Financial Times and confirmed with Le Monde by a source close to the Doha leadership. "The Qataris have decided to review their investments in London. They maintain good relations with the British Conservative government, but they will redirect their investments to other cities in the United Kingdom," said the source.The straw that broke the camel's back came from Transport for London (TfL), the British capital's public transport authority. Since 2019, at the request of Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London who chairs the authority, TfL was supposed to ban advertisements from countries that had the death penalty for homosexuality. Qatar is on the list referred to by the London authorities, along with 10 other countries. In reality, advertisements from the emirate continued to appear regularly on the London Underground and on buses.But due to "heightened sensitivity" of public opinion surrounding LGBT+ issues in Qatar, especially after the International Football Federation (FIFA) refused to allow anti-discrimination armbands requested by several European teams, TfL tightened the application of the rule. Advertisements for the World Cup are allowed, "so that fans do not miss the opportunity to support their team," but not those promoting tourism to Qatar.
Criticism instead of the opening ceremony
When asked by Le Monde, Qatari authorities categorically denied that homosexuality is punishable by death in their country. According to a recent report by the human rights NGO Human Rights Watch, the Qatari penal code punishes extramarital relationships, including same-sex relationships, with up to seven years in prison.
The emirate's officials deplore the way the World Cup is being covered by the British media, which they perceive as a deliberate smear campaign. The BBC, which has the rights to part of the games, did not broadcast the opening ceremony on its main channel (BBC One). This was not strictly speaking a boycott, as the event was available on its website and on its secondary channels, but it was a way of distancing itself from the event
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Instead of the show at the Al-Bayt stadium, north of Doha, BBC One viewers were treated to 30 minutes of criticism of Qatar. "It's the most controversial World Cup in history, and a ball has not yet been kicked," began Gary Lineker, the British Broadcasting Corporation's star presenter. Gay rights, working conditions of immigrant workers, carbon footprint, suspicions of corruption to win the right to host the event... The various accusations against Qatar were reviewed. However, the tone has changed since then and comments now revolve almost exclusively around football.