Khalid Tawalbeh
Doha
Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy of the Republic of Indonesia HE Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno said that those who travel to Qatar to follow the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 will have the full opportunity to get acquainted with a model of an Islamic country with all its culture, values and customs.
In an exclusive interview with the Qatar Tribune, the minister stressed that Qatar was able to achieve what no one expected when it won the honor of hosting the tournament in 2010, pointing out that it is considered a historic tournament thanks to hard work and concerted efforts for 12 years.
He highlighted “the great achievements made by the state of Qatar and its great preparations for organizing the tournament should be an example to guide the countries of the world in preparing and making ready to host the next editions of the football World Cup, and we in Indonesia are already doing this.”
His Excellency praised the huge preparations that Qatar has worked on for the success of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, wishing success to this tournament, which is being held in an Islamic country for the first time.
He expressed his admiration for the design of the stadiums hosting the events of the 2022 World Cup, and the urban renaissance witnessed by the state of Qatar in various fields, wishing good luck to all the teams remaining until the moment, wishing success to this distinguished tournament.
He said that this edition is the first he has seen in reality, but stressed that he has seen an ideal edition of the World Cup, and that it is an opportunity for everyone to express national cultures and identities, as well as get to know the beautiful Qatari culture up close and the warm Qatari hospitality.
Based on the Quranic verse “We have sent you, not but as a mercy for the ‘Alamin (mankind)”, the minister saw the World Cup as an opportunity to bring the world together in one place and establish wonderful international relations.
He pointed out that the atmosphere here in the land of the World Cup is more than wonderful, “I have followed the progress made by Qatar for all the years, since winning the right to host the World Cup, and it is amazing to see the fruits of all these efforts being realized, and watching fans from everywhere gather here to celebrate together the days of the tournament”.
“It’s great to be in Qatar for the 2022 World Cup. Thanks for the hospitality and perfect organization, I am always glad to be here, all the best for Qatar for the rest of the tournament,” he added.
He underscored the benefit of Qatar’s organization of the World Cup in promoting tourism in Indonesia, saying that “this wonderful edition can be positive for us, especially when we organize the U20 FIFA World Cup 2023 in Indonesia next year.
“This is something that I believe is amazing and an opportunity for all countries to promote themselves well and positively,”the minister reiterated, “the World Cup is an opportunity to develop mutual investments with Qatar in all respects in terms of tourism, technology and all aspects”.
HE the minister lauded the remarkable achievement of the state of Qatar in preparing for the establishment of the 2022 World Cup, in terms of smooth movement, infrastructure, logistics, modern technology and other organizational matters “We can learn from Qatar’s use of modern technology at the World Cup, which was a success point for the World Cup, and it can benefit us well during the U20 World Cup in Indonesia next year,” he said.
His Excellency expressed admiration for the efforts of the host country over the past years, which were reflected in the exceptional organization of the World championship, at a festival during which fans from all over the world celebrate their common passion for football, and said: “I watched closely all the details of the tournament, and went to the Corniche and Souq Waqif, which is an ideal destination for the audience outside the tournament stadiums”.
“Everyone is happy with the activities that Indonesia holds during the World Cup, we have a wonderful and active community, and I went to Souq Waqif and the Corniche and walked in many areas. The atmosphere of the World Cup dominates Qatar greatly, in a wonderful way”.
Regarding his opinion on the specificity of this edition, the Indonesian minister of Tourism and creative economy HE Salahuddin Uno said,”I am very sure that each edition of the World Cup is different from another and has its own specificity, but this edition is inspiring, wonderful, and distinctive in my opinion, and it is the most successful ever”.
The minister stressed that”relations between peoples, governments and business owners between Qatar and Indonesia are special, and we are working to develop the tourism sector well”.
“Qatar offered Islam as mercy to the worlds in its true sense, and negative opinions from anywhere for the state of Qatar do not discourage it from continuing the real work, we respect all opinions and work for the better, I think that human differences are mercy from Allah, not a curse and can not be blamed on anyone, difference of opinion does not spoil the friendliness of the cause, and all opinions of everyone should be respected,” His Excellency explained.
The minister pointed out that Qatar has launched its capabilities in many areas, most notably the tourism sector, where it has taken bold steps in this area, expanding festivals, exhibitions, conferences and everything that would develop this aspect while preserving identity,
customs and traditions.
These days, the state of Qatar celebrates the cultures of peoples from all over the world, as Katara collaborated with 22 embassies accredited to the state to hold distinctive exhibitions in order to enhance opportunities for dialogue between cultures and Peoples, which enhances the prospects for continuous and long lasting cultural cooperation both during the World Cup period and after.
The Indonesian national team does not participate in the World Cup in Qatar, but Indonesia has left an imprint on it through the official football industry of the tournament known as the “Al-Rihla”.
In previous statements, HE Ridwan Hassan, Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to Qatar, said: “This is a great opportunity for the public to learn about Indonesia’s heritage through our exhibition in Katara”.
The “Batik Heritage” exhibition is being hosted in cooperation with the embassy of Indonesia, which includes artwork and textiles that vary in ideas, including a work where the idea deals with FIFA World Cup 2022 Qatar by collecting Qatari cultural identity and football symbols.
A work titled *Mountain of Shadow Puppets symbolises human life and its various stages, and life in an Indonesian village, while other works highlight different ideas.
Dr. Khaled al-Sulaiti, Katara general manager, had said: “We are pleased to open these important and beautiful exhibitions as part of Katara’s festive programme related to our country’s hosting of the World Cup.”
“We have cooperated with more than 22 embassies accredited to the country besides a number of friendly countries to enhance opportunities for dialogue between cultures and peoples,” he said.
He added “These distinguished exhibitions are evidence of the high level of cultural partnership between Katara and these embassies, which enhances the horizons of continuous cultural co-operation, whether during or after the World Cup.”
