Media criticism of Qatar ahead of the 2022 World Cup has only made organizers more determined to hold the football tournament, Sheikha Al Mayassa Al Thani has said.
“The more the press attacks Qatar for hosting the World Cup, the more excited we are to host an amazing World Cup,” the Qatar Museums chairperson said.
Sheikha Al Mayassa was speaking during a panel session yesterday at the New York Times Art for Tomorrow conference at the W Doha.
During that session, she also fielded questions about whether she is worried that the World Cup is causing tension and “disruption in such a traditional place.”
To this, she answered that the decision-making process involving the tournament has been “very democratic and very collaborative.
We are looking forward for hosting the World Cup 2022 that already brought innovative architects #NYTAFThttps://t.co/eZ6E9q0aBf
— Al Mayassa Al Thani (@almayassahamad) March 13, 2016
However, the sister of the Emir also acknowledged controversies, such as widespread criticism of the under-construction Al Wakrah Stadium.
The facility, which was designed by architect Zaha Hadid, has been lambasted by some who said it looks like a female body part.
Alluding to this, Sheikha Al Mayassa said:
“There’s the Zaha Hadid building which everybody didn’t like but we liked it so we went ahead and starting to construct the Wakrah Stadium.
I think art is a matter of taste, just like fashion and everything else – food – it’s going to be I think very interesting for us in 10 years time to see the result of our innovative efforts today.”
The conference continues until tomorrow. It is not open to the public, but a pop-up art gallery on the 29th floor of the W Doha hotel will open to all tomorrow (March 15) from 8am to 1pm.
The Art Lab features work from Prince Nikolaos of Greece and Denmark; Qatari Sheikh Hassan Al Thani, Qatar-based expat Omar Khalifa and others.
Thoughts?