Comprising 35 countries, the ACD was inaugurated in 2002 in Thailand, forming a continent-wide platform for dialogue and cooperation, the first of its kind in Asia.

Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani has invited United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Kuwait’s Amir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah to the third Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) Summit, scheduled to take place in Doha in October.

In a statement on Saturday, the Emirati foreign ministry said the invitation was delivered by Qatar’s ambassador to the UAE, Sultan bin Salmeen Al Mansouri, to the UAE’s Minister of State Ahmed bin Ali Al Sayegh during a meeting between both diplomats in Abu Dhabi.

“During the meeting, they affirmed the fraternal bonds between the UAE and Qatar and discussed ways to reinforce cooperation to achieve the interests and aspirations of both nations and their peoples,” the statement said.

Kuwait’s news agency (KUNA) separately reported on Sunday that the invitation was delivered to Sheikh Meshal through Qatar’s ambassador to Kuwait Ali Bin Abdulla Al-Mahmoud. 

Comprising 35 countries, the ACD was inaugurated in 2002 in Thailand, forming a continent-wide platform for dialogue and cooperation, the first of its kind in Asia. Qatar is among the founding members of ACD, which encourages “Asian unity.”

“The ACD aims to consolidate Asian strengths and fortify Asia’s competitiveness by maximising the diversity and rich resources in Asia,” the forum’s website says.

The first ACD summit took place in Kuwait in 2012 and the second took place in Thailand in 2016. While the UAE’s foreign ministry and KUNA said the event in Doha is scheduled to take place in October, they made no mention of the specific date.

According to KUNA, the summit is taking place under the title “Sports Diplomacy,” coming two years after Qatar hosted the 2022 FIFA World Cup. 

The Gulf state was the first Arab and Muslim country to host the major sporting event, which gathered 3.4 million spectators from all over the world.

Last December, FIFA President Gianni Infantino said Qatar staged “the best World Cup ever” that encouraged the world to visit the region and celebrate Arab culture.

“This [FIFA] World Cup contributed to was that it opened the door to the world to visit and to witness – and to enjoy, as well – a new culture, the Arab culture,” Infantino said at the time.

Qatar also succeeded in hosting a safe edition of the tournament, where female spectators felt particularly safe throughout the event.

Between January and February, Qatar hosted the AFC Asian Cup 2023, another major sporting event that brought together over one million spectators.

The Gulf state’s position as a sports capital goes way beyond the World Cup. Between 2013 and 2023, Qatar hosted 470 international sporting events.

Aside from sports diplomacy, Qatar stands as a key diplomatic power in the region and globally, especially as it currently plays a pivotal role in an effort to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. 

Since the beginning of the war on October 7, Qatar has been working alongside Egypt and the United States to reach a ceasefire and captives release deal.

Such efforts led to a week-long truce between Hamas and Israel that lasted between November 24 and December 1. 

The truce resulted in the release of 109 Israeli captives out of 251 held by Hamas and 240 Palestinians from Israeli prisons, some of whom have since been re-arrested by Israeli forces. 

Mediation efforts have since stalled amid Israel’s refusal to end the war while vowing to eliminate Hamas—an objective that many analysts say is not realistic. 

Meanwhile, in 2022, U.S. President Joe Biden designated Qatar as a Major Non-NATO Ally as he met with Sheikh Tamim in Washington. The designation grants Washington’s foreign partners several benefits in areas concerning defence trade and security cooperation.