World Cup 2022: 'Finally football smiles back at Arabs'

The roars of ecstatic fans, car horns ringing retired and buildings draped successful reddish and green.

The ambiance successful Doha aft Morocco's historical triumph against Portugal successful the World Cup quarter-finals was enchanting.

"Finally shot smiles backmost astatine Arabs," 1 Morocco protagonist told the BBC.

The match's ambiance gave immoderate clues arsenic to the reception the squad volition get erstwhile they look France successful the semi-final connected Wednesday night.

Whenever a Moroccan subordinate touched the ball, the full assemblage cheered "Sir!" which means "Go on!" successful Arabic. And they did.

On 10 December Morocco became the archetypal Arab and African state to marque it to the World Cup semi-finals, and I was determination to witnesser it.

I ne'er thought I'd get to be a World Cup - fto unsocial 1 held successful an Arab country.

Growing up successful the Middle East, the tourney ever felt retired of scope and excessively expensive. But it has ever meant a batch to me.

Every 4 years, I watched the games surrounded by household either successful my hometown of Aleppo successful Syria wherever I spent astir of my summers, oregon successful Riyadh, Saudi Arabia wherever I grew up.

Cafes would beryllium draped successful the flags of antithetic countries, and brawls would erupt betwixt groups supporting countries they had astir apt ne'er adjacent visited.

We were thousands of miles distant from the enactment but the ambiance was ever memorable.

When I had the accidental to screen this historical event, I could not clasp backmost my excitement.

I'm nary alien to the Gulf region. I was calved and raised successful Saudi Arabia. My parents moved determination from Syria successful the aboriginal 1980s owed to governmental unrest and successful hunt of amended economical opportunities.

We often utilized to sojourn my uncle and cousins successful Qatar for holidays successful the 1990s. And though I was conscionable a child, I distinctly retrieve the Sheraton Hotel building, with its pyramid shape, being the main landmark connected Doha's Corniche.

Today, the Sheraton is dwarfed by a oversea of high-rise buildings. Even though my past sojourn to Doha was successful 2016, I inactive find myself incapable to recognise galore parts of it.

In conscionable a fewer years, the state has built 7 stadiums, a caller 'city' connected the outskirts of Doha, and rolled retired a caller metro system.

The ambiance has been welcoming successful Doha. Scores of planetary visitors person learned however to accidental a fewer elemental Arabic phrases. Fans from Croatia to Argentina wore accepted Qatari antheral clothing, done up successful the colours of their nationalist teams.

But for me, it's the immense beingness of Arab supporters that has made it special.

"To beryllium an Arab and get a accidental to witnesser the archetypal tourney successful an Arab country, it's an honour," 1 Saudi shot instrumentality told me.

Three Arab countries qualified for the tourney this twelvemonth - Morocco, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia. Their fans rushed to Doha to cheer them on.

Even an 86-year aged Tunisian pistillate made her mode here. "I'm an aged woman, but I did not privation to beryllium sitting astatine location during the World Cup," she told a Qatari TV channel.

On my archetypal travel to Souq Waqif - the traditional-style marketplace successful the bosom of Doha - I saw a parade of Arab shot fans flood its alleyways and courtyards.

Before I knew it, I was chanting with the Tunisian and Moroccan supporters.

It's 1 happening to get here, it's different to triumph games. Arab hearts are utilized to being breached but this clip it's been precise different.

Morocco has made history. Saudi Arabia achieved 1 of the biggest upsets successful World Cup past by beating Argentina, and Tunisia won against reigning champions France earlier going home.

"Football is the lone happening that has fixed america this overmuch anticipation and happiness," a delighted instrumentality told maine connected Saturday night, arsenic the celebrations continued precocious into the nighttime successful Souq Waqif.

But this tourney has been overshadowed by controversy, particularly focused connected Qatar's contentious records connected migrant workers rights.

The state has made reforms and precocious admitted that up to 500 workers died successful full projects linked to the World Cup. However, quality rights groups accidental this is acold beneath the existent figure.

There's a long-standing statement astir whether sports should beryllium mixed with politics. The World Cup has been hosted by arguable countries similar Russia, which was scrutinised for it's quality rights grounds and stance connected LGBT+ issues. However, nary tourney has been arsenic arguable arsenic this one.

Many Qataris and overseas residents successful Doha person told maine they are frustrated implicit what they telephone an "avalanche" of antagonistic sum connected Western media outlets. They inquire whether it's due to the fact that Qatar is an Arab and Muslim country.

Mashael al-Salem, a Qatari pistillate who is an technologist and entrepreneur, told maine it was astir clip the tourney came to the Middle East.

"The attacks we've received person been unprecedented... [the West] had the incorrect thought astir america Arab Muslims… but galore of them person changed their minds erstwhile they came here," she said.

I find myself looking astatine the media sum and asking a antithetic question.

Has this tourney acceptable a caller modular for scrutiny of sporting events and quality rights?

Will we spot the aforesaid statement astatine the adjacent World Cup successful the USA, Canada and Mexico successful 2026?

I cognize I volition beryllium watching, on with millions of fans crossed the Middle East.