Economic Cultural and Sport Diplomacy

Economic Cultural and Sport Diplomacy. Qatar, which has enjoyed a favorable worldwide reputation for over two decades now, has been dragged into the GCC discord despite the country’s efforts to rise above the disharmony. As a result, it is imperative that Qatar actively engages in three facets of diplomacy namely: cultural, sport and economic diplomacy in order to maintain an elevated position.

Cultural diplomacy seeks to address the core ideals, traditions, and values of the target audience. Through this type of diplomacy, a country is able to engage another by appealing to their foreign audience through cultural exchanges. Messages which are delivered through cultural diplomacy are usually indirect and informal compared to those transmitted through other channels since they are audience-specific. In addition, Qatar enjoys the freedom of belief and religion which enables its citizens to co-exist in peace.

Economic Cultural and Sport Diplomacy

With regards to the economic diplomacy, the country is fortunate enough to enjoy a great abundance of oil and gas resources. These two natural resources have particularly been the backbone of Qatar’s remarkable growth since the 1960s. During the 2008 global economic recession, the over-reliance of the country on the two natural resources led to an impactful stagnation of the growth of the economy. Consequently, Qatar has diversified its economy and revamped its infrastructure to reduce the overdependence on oil and gas. Messages which are delivered through the economic diplomacy flow through a complex network of private and public sectors that manage the businesses. These messages are, therefore, clear and follow the bilateral terms and conditions of negotiations.

Qatar’s sport’s diplomacy has considerably risen to prominence due to the scheduled FIFA World Cup which shall be held in the country in 2022. The worldwide popularity of the sporting event shall enable the country to engage in sport-related diplomacy with the USA.