Qatars Sporting Legacy - Research Proposal Example

? Qatar Sporting Legacy of the A Dissertation Proposal of the Concerned 18 February Khalifa Stadium, Qatar TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter I Introduction …………………………………………. 4 Chapter II Review of the Literature ………………………… 13 Chapter III Methodology ……………………………………… 20 Chapter IV Proposed Timeline …………………………………. 21 Reference List …………………………………………………… 22 Chapter 1 Introduction Sports stand to command a pivotal place in Qatar’s social and national life. One primary reason behind this phenomenon is the fact that people in the Middle East do have a special predilection for outdoor activities. The sports legacy of Qatar is a unique mix of the new developments as well as the age old traditions. This is why, since the last two decades, the government of Qatar has embarked on a unique policy to promote the local and international sports in Qatar. The primary thrust of this policy is to introduce and support new sports like golf, soccer and tennis, while at the same time encouraging traditional sports like camel racing and horse racing. There is no denying the fact that modern Qatar can proudly boast of some of the best, world class sports facilities. Qatar not only intends to promote sports within the country, but also aspires to evolve into a popular tourist destination. The hosting of international sports events and competitions by Qatar has stimulated and enhanced the interest of the local population in sports. The awarding of 2022 FIFA World Cup to Qatar came as a surprise to most of the Asians, Americans and Europeans. However, the fact is that this Gulf state bagged this honor and privilege after years of painstaking commitment to and investment in sports. That is why Qatar was given a preference over some of the most celebrated sports hubs like the USA, Australia, South Korea and Japan. This very fact speaks a lot about the sports legacy of Qatar. This privilege was ample testament to the fact that though being a small nation of 1.7 million people, Qatar is capable of great achievements. FIFA World Cup and other such events will certainly give a flip to Qatar’s standing on the international stage. The modern Qatar is now being associated with high profile sporting events and is considered to be a champion, as far as the task of committing to and supporting sports is concerned. Qatar took a big step towards expanding its sports infrastructure and developing its organizational abilities way back in 2006, when it hosted the Asian Games. Qatar also hosts a range of international events pertaining to varied sports like golf, soccer, tennis and cricket every year. Actually, this potential of Qatar has attracted the attention and appreciation of the world community and the international sports bodies and institutions. The years following the hosting of 2006 Asian Games have witnessed Qatar’s metamorphosis from being a tiny Arab emirate to a world class sports venue and sporting destination. In the last decade, sports have assumed a central place in the nation’s cultural and economic life. Qatar’s sporting prestige has been successful in attracting some of the top notch sport stars like Sergio Garcia, Roger Federer, Justine Henin and Ernie Els to its shores. Hence any attempt to understand Qatar’s sports legacy ought to take a broad based and holistic perspective, taking into consideration the sanguine political and economic landscape of Qatar that has turned out to be so conducive for sports. The Nation Since the second half of the 19th century, Qatar has been ruled by the Al Thani family. During the British reign, Qatar was primarily known to be a small and poor protectorate (The World FactBook 2011: Online). However, post independence, Qatar has evolved into a sovereign state, accruing billions of dollars annually from its oil and natural gas reserves. In the period 1980-1990, the economy of Qatar was severely jeopardized owing to the misappropriation of its oil revenues by the Amir, who had been its ruler since 1972 (The World FactBook 2011: Online). However, in 1995, the old Amir was overthrown in a bloodless coup by his son that is the present Amir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani (The World FactBook 2011: Online). (The World FactBook 2011: Online) Qatar has been embroiled in an age old border dispute with Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, which it resolved in 2001 (The World FactBook 2011: Online). Courtesy the revenue from oil and natural gas, Qatar today commands the second highest per capita income in the world (The World FactBook 2011: Online). Strangely, amidst the global financial crisis and the economic meltdown, the economy Qatar continued to flourish. In the year 2010, Qatar registered the highest growth rate in the world (The World FactBook 2011: Online). The primary thrust of the economic planning is to invest in the development of oil and gas reserves, while at the same time promoting foreign investment in non energy sectors, including tourism and hospitality (The World FactBook 2011: Online). Qatar’s success in grabbing 2022 World Cup bid is likely to result in massive investments in large scale infrastructure projects like Qatar-Bahrain causeway and Qatar’s metro system (The World FactBook 2011: Online). The literacy levels in Qatar are 89 percent with a large segment of the population having access to international exposure (The World FactBook 2011: Online). About76.8 percent of Qatar’s population is in the age group 15-64 years, evincing keen interest in sports (The World FactBook 2011: Online). Qatar: A Beacon of Economic Stability Sporting ambition comes with a price. Even the most robust of world economies are shying away from making ample investments in sports infrastructure in the post economic meltdown scenario. So, Qatar’s sporting legacy could only be sustained if backed by ample economic resilience and fiscal strength. Many people tend to doubt the ability of Qatar to manage and support prestigious sports events. However, the feedback by the international financial opinion makers like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank indicates beyond doubt that Qatar has the financial wherewithal and strength to develop its sports infrastructure and to aspire for a world class sports legacy (Siddiqi 2010). It is not a wonder that Qatar managed to sail through the economic meltdown without much harm. A series of budgetary and fiscal measures including prudent policies in the macroeconomic sphere, a farsighted investment planning and free market reforms, initiated a decade ago have led to a salubrious impact on the Qatar’s government budget and its balance of payments situation (Siddiqi 2010). Such shrewd economic strategy allowed Doha to withstand external economic pressures and to retain a viable economic performance amidst the recession rampant in the region in general (Siddiqi 2010). In fact, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has generously praised Qatar for its deft economic governance during the recession and uploaded its ability to manage and retain an overall fiscal stability (Siddiqi 2010). As per the International Monetary Fund (IMF), each and every investment undertaken by Qatar was based on sound macroeconomic fundamentals that contributed to its exponential growth and the accrual of external and fiscal surpluses (Siddiqi 2010). Not to mention, most of the prominent rating agencies like Moody’s Investor Services and Standard & Poor have condoned Qatar’s astute risk profiling with an impressive grade rating (Siddiqi 2010). The continual expansion of gas exports, which was the direct result of a professional fiscal management, has placed Qatar in terms of prosperity, at par with some of the richest economies in the world (Siddiqi 2010). Even amidst the global credit crunch of 2009, Qatar managed to retain an economic growth rate of 11 percent. In 2000-2009, the nominal Gross Domestic Production (GDP) of Qatar augmented by five times to rest at $ 82.86 billion (General Secretariat of Development 2010). If one goes through the comparative figures for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) furnished by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the bloc merely achieved a growth rate of 5-3 percent (General Secretariat of Development 2010). GDP wise, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates recorded a fall of respectively 0.9, 1.6 and 0.2 percent in their GDP (General Secretariat of Development 2010). Besides, Qatar was one of the really few countries in the world, which pursued an expansionary fiscal policy amidst a full blown recession, increasing its development spending by 15 percent in the period 2009-2010 (General Secretariat of Development 2010). With ample funds at their disposal, the Qatar authorities at no time hesitated to inject funds into public projects like housing, sports infrastructure, health and education, to give a potential flip to the economic growth. This policy managed to dilute the expected inflationary pressures by increasing the supply of affordable housing in the markets, thereby recording a fall in the domestic rents and a fall in the prices of imports. This year Qatar has recorded a mind boggling Gross Domestic Production (GDP) growth rate of 18.5 percent (General Secretariat of Development 2010). This has been made possible by deft and professional governance accompanied by continually rising LNG production and the ancillary industries. Besides, the Qatar economy has also expanded into manufacturing and construction sectors, reporting a praiseworthy and commendable growth (Davidson 2009). Besides, the production rates in the petro industry are positively expected to soar by 25 percent, before the production stabilizes to a tolerable peak level rate of 17.2 percent (Davidson 2009). Truly speaking, sports do not only constitute an integral aspect of a nation’s culture, but in fact are a part and parcel of the national identity. Yet, the modern day sports events require massive investment and financial backing from the public and private stakeholders. In an international economic landscape marked by meltdown and recession, there are a very few countries who afford to allocate massive funds to culture and sports. Luckily, Qatar is a country that has finally arrived. Qatar is a modern day financial success. So the next plausible step will be refurbishing the national identity. Investing in building up a lasting sports legacy is an ambition that is certainly not out of the reach of this affluent emirate. Political Stability The general sporting environment in a country and the hosting of international sporting events is to a great extent dependent on a stable political environment and a peaceful law and order situation. Considering the fact that Middle East right now is a cauldron of political unrest, with the political situation in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Bahrain, Jordan, Iran and Iraq being flagrant, the region is certainly not a chosen destination for sports and the hosting of international sporting events. However, the situation in Qatar is very different. Though Qatar is a traditional monarchy, Qataris enjoy a greater political and social freedom as compared to their neighbors (Owen and Zahlan 1998). New social and political freedoms were sanctioned in 1995 that included extending the women the right to vote, abolishing a ban on the sale and consumption of alcohol and the dilution of approach towards media censorship (Owen and Zahlan 1998). The Emir of Qatar is committed to introduce further liberalization of social and political moors with the due support and approval of vested interests like the elder members of Al Thani family and local merchants and administrators (Owen and Zahlan 1998). Qatar introduced a new constitution in 2005, which extends a greater freedom of expression and petition, and a free and independent judiciary. The new constitution has also provided for the partial election of an advisory council that is to interfere in the day today functioning of the government and budgetary planning, on the behalf of the citizens and commoners. To some extent, Qatar has been vulnerable to bloodless intra family coups. However, the present Amir is a very liberal and shrewd person who takes into consideration the opinions and views of the family members, local merchants and administrators and the people, while chalking out and promulgating public policies and strategies (Owen and Zahlan 1998). Besides the people of Qatar enjoy a lifestyle and access to health, education and civil amenities that are way better than those prevalent in the other countries in the region (Owen and Zahlan 1998). The approach of the Al Thani family is to integrate all shades of public dissent within the administrative framework of Qatar. So by all measures, Qatar is a very stable and peaceful destination, very conducive for sports (Owen and Zahlan 1998). As per a World Bank report published in 18 September 2006, Qatar was ranked amongst the first Arab state in terms of political stability and good law and order situation (Qatar News Agency 2011: Online). In this report Qatar was awarded an 87 percent rate and the Sultanate of Oman stood second with a 72 percent Rate (Qatar News Agency 2011: Online). The political stability index in Qatar was calculated to be 83 percent, much more than many of the developing democracies (Qatar News Agency 2011: Online). The same report declared Qatar to be the top contender in terms of administrative efficiency and fighting corruption, far better than the performance of Italy and Greece on these parameters (Qatar News Agency 2011: Online). Hence, going by Qatar’s economic and political stability, it is an ideal candidate for hosting international sports competitions. Besides, a satisfied, educated, affluent and young population is all set to imbibe a sporting identity and temperament. Rationale for Study This qualitative study is imperative in an age where sports are increasingly getting associated with national pride and economic progress. So far, barring Japan and China, very few nations in Asia and especially in the Middle East have been able to give way to a sustainable sports legacy. In that context, Qatar has emerged as a progressive nation, which has an ideal economic and political environment backed by the state commitment to develop and sustain a long term sports legacy. Rationale for Qualitative Study Qualitative study is ideally suitable for the topic under consideration as it intends to draw the relevance of a topic within a specific context. The study will rely on varied textual, media and online sources to establish the credentials of Qatar as a viable sporting nation and a potential destination for holding international sporting events. Statement of the Problem Qatar came into sporting limelight when it held the 2006 Asian Games. The awarding of the 2022 FIFA World Cup to Qatar further consolidated its position as a sporting destination. Hence, considering the massive economic potential of competitive sports and international sporting events, it has become more than imperative to study the social, political and economic factors that have made Qatar an international sporting success. The objective of this study is to cull out the salient factors that make Qatar a nation with a sustainable sporting legacy. Research Questions The central research question that this study aims to answer is that what are the social, cultural, economic and political factors that lie behind the sporting legacy of Qatar? This study also aspires to answer the following research sub-questions: 1. Can the international sporting community rely on Qatar as a viable destination for holding sports events? 2. Does Qatar has the requisite sporting infrastructure, economic wherewithal and political stability to sustain its sporting legacy on a long term basis? 3. Can the other Asian economies emulate the example of Qatar for envisaging and implementing a sustainable sporting legacy? Chapter 2 Review of the Literature In the colonial times, the European nations tried to colonize sports not only in terms of specific physiques and symbolic gestures, but also exploited the time and space in which the international sporting events were held, to consolidate the Western hegemony over sports and sporting legacy (Bale and Cronin 2003). The colonial approach towards sports was categorized by the initiation and maintenance of a crisis of representation, in which the colonized nations were not only deprived of an identity owing to a minimal representation in the international sporting organizations and institutions, but also because of an inherent dearth of an indigenous sporting legacy and infrastructure, marred by their precarious economic or political straits (Bale and Cronin 2003). Thus, representation is the key theme in a post colonial world, whether it is in politics, literature or sports (Bale and Cronin 2003). The emergence of a sporting culture in the ex-colonies in a post colonial world is supported by varied aspirations. Many of the Asian nations badly aspire to develop a sporting legacy, not only to register resurgence against their colonial past, but also to give alternative and new meanings to national identity and culture (Bale and Cronin 2003). In the 21st century, sports are about big economic gains and national development and progress. However, very few Asian countries and especially the Arab nations have been able to carve out a legitimate share in the international sporting legacy, either owing to a lack of political will on the part of their governments, or owing to less than satisfactory economic or political circumstances. In that context, the sporting legacy of Qatar has emerged as an inspiration for the entire developing world. It took a propitious mix of farsighted economic and fiscal planning, political astuteness and state initiative that made possible the much cherished sporting legacy of Qatar. Though the emirate of Qatar started nurturing its much coveted sporting legacy at least a decade ago, it came into the international lime light with the hosting of 15th Asian games in 2006. In the run up for the selection of the host of the 15th Asian Games, Qatar was initially not being considered a serious contender before much preferred competitors like Hong Kong and Malaysia, owing to its small size (Hong 2006). However, to the surprise of the international community and to the joy of Qatari people, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) had to finally give into to the Qatari sporting aspirations backed by the best bid ever (Hong 2006). Not to say, after winning the bid, Qatar did not have to start from a scratch to construct the requisite infrastructure. It was much endowed with an already existing world class infrastructure. Much was fast accomplished by simply renovating the already existing 14 stadiums, a world class equestrian centre, an international level squash and tennis complex, a state of the art aquatic complex, a shooting range and a golf course (Middle East Economic Digest 2002: Online). Also, a number of schools and colleges and the Qatar University were equipped with ample facilities (Middle East Economic Digest 2002: Online). The farsightedness on the part of the Qatari government in systematically and methodically developing a sporting infrastructure in the past years, enabled it to conduct the 15th Asian Games by making much humbler investments than what was earlier estimated (Middle East Economic Digest 2002: Online). However, Qatar also saw to it that any sports facility constructed by it for the Asian Games did not turn out to be a white elephant in the long run, but should rather contribute to the long term sporting legacy and ambition of the nation (Middle East Economic Digest 2002: Online). Even at that moment of accomplishment, Qatar had its eyes on the future. The Asian Games went a long way in promoting the athletic talent in Qatar and in making the Qatari people more than ever interested in sports. In the 15th Asian Games Qatar grabbed one gold medal and two each of silver and bronze (The Hindustan Times 2007: Online). To the surprise of soccer fans, Qatar’s football team managed to reach the semifinals, disheartening the other favorites (The Hindustan Times 2007: Online). Its volley ball and hand ball teams also performed much better than what was expected (The Hindustan Times 2007: Online). Courtesy, Qatar’s impressive and world class performance as the host of 15th Asian Games, on 16 April 2007, the General Assembly of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), selected Qatar to host the 4th Outdoor Asian Games in 2011 (Xinhua News Agency 2007: Online). The achievements of Qatar reinforced the international community’s trust in other Gulf States also. As a direct consequence of it, Oman was chosen by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) to host the 2nd Beach Asian Games to be held in 2010 (Xinhua News Agency 2007: Online). The holding of varied Asian championships specifically in Qatar and generally in neighboring Gulf States evinced their ability to conduct and manage international sporting events with ease and dexterity. Slowly but steadily Qatar was building on its sporting legacy, while acting as a guiding star to the other Gulf Nations. Each successive sporting event left with multifarious benefits and expertise. Not only these events endowed Qatar with international level stadiums, arenas and complexes, but also endowed the involved agencies, personnel and volunteers with the much needed experience, skills and expertise. On the other side, the same sporting events not only brought Qatar to the centre of the world stage, but also augmented the trust of the international community and the international sporting bodies like the International Olympic Committee (IOC), FIFA and the International Cricket Council (ICC) in the Qatari ability and expertise. The emirate was now all set for bigger achievements and more prestigious events. Bidding for 2022 FIFA World Cup was the next big challenge for Qatar in its quest for a modern day sports legacy and image. FIFA being a quiet conservative organization with its support base and administration centered in Europe, to begin with was a bit too apprehensive of awarding 2022 World Cup to Qatar. When Qatar announced that it was going to bid for the 2022 World Cup, most of the sporting enthusiasts considered it to be a long shoot at best. Especially in a post 9/11 scenario, the international sporting community and organizations were much apprehensive about security issues and Qatar’s ability to make sure a safe and sound World Cup (Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies and Research 2008). Weather wise also Qatar stood to be home to one of the extreme climates in the world, with summer temperatures soaring to 48 degree centigrade (Stacey International 2000). The decision makers at FIFA doubted as to the viability to conduct such an athletic event amidst such extreme climate. It goes without saying that armed with one of the history’s most costly PR campaign, backed by its massive oil and gas resources, and a commitment to air condition all the stadiums, arenas and sitting places, Qatar managed to wrest the 2022 FIFA World Cup, after beating the intimidating and audacious giants like Australia and the United States of America (Casey 2010: Online). It was for the first time in the history of modern sports that a nation of a mere 1.7 million people was made to host one of the most esteemed sporting events in the world. Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Hamid bin Khalifa Al-Thani personally left no stone unturned in convincing the international community to opt for a change (Marley 2010). In fact the entire process of bidding for the 2022 FIFA World Cup was a showcase specimen of intense and costly PR activity and a refined exercise in international sporting diplomacy. Not to mention, in achieving this objective, Qatar was backed by a bevy of international sports legends of the stature of Zinedine Zidane, Pep Guardiola, Alex Ferguson and Ronald De Boer (Casey 2010: Online). The winning of bid for hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup was a landmark in the sporting history of Qatar and a step closer to its ambition of emerging as a world class sporting destination and venue. Once the FIFA World Cup was clinched, Qatar decided to bid for the 2016 Olympics. Qatar is confident that considering its lavish sports facilities and venues, an impressive financial clout backed by massive oil and gas reserves and an unflinching support from the Muslim world, it will do get a chance to host the 2016 Olympic games (AAP Sports News 2008: Online). In fact, Doha’s Olympic bid is being viewed by the Arab world as an opportunity to add to its overall profile and stature (AAP Sports News 2008: Online). If Doha wins the 2016 Olympics bid, it will be for the first time in the sporting history that an Olympic event will be held in the Middle East. Qatar is already confidently claiming that it is more than ready to host the 2016 Olympics and nearly 75 percent of the required venues and stadiums have already been constructed by it (AAP Sports News 2008: Online). The $US 2.8 billion invested by Qatar in constructing stadiums and venues for the Asian Games are intended to be transferred to Qatar’s Olympic pool (AAP Sports News 2008: Online). In fact Asian Games were the nation’s first step forward in the direction of fulfilling its Olympic dream. Qatar well knows that its competitors do enjoy a position of strength, both in political and financial terms. Yet, it intends to make the best of its financial strength and acumen, by backing it with backdoor diplomacy, dialogue and by creating new avenues for understanding. The whole stress for the present is on changing the perceptions of the Western world. This initiative is being supported by innovative propositions on the part of Qatari government. For example, Qatar has already proposed that if it is awarded the hosting of 2016 Olympics, it will arrange an all expenses paid trip for 100, 000 teenagers from around the world, so as to give them a chance to watch the Olympics (AAP Sports News 2008: Online). Qatar’s bid for 2016 Olympics is as much a gesture of peace and harmony in the troubled Middle East, as an attempt to bolster the emirate’s sporting legacy and vision. The success of Qatar is bound to extend a new direction and avenue to the youth of Middle East. Qatar’s discernable focus on Olympic events and athletics does not mean that it intends to ignore other professional sports. In fact, the Qatari approach towards sports is holistic and broad based, in which there is scope and space for all types of traditional and modern sports. Qatar is also the home to Qatar Racing Club, which proudly boasts of a state of the art drag racing facility. In fact, the Qatar Racing Club stands to be a global leader and trend setter in drag racing. No wonder, all the drag racing professionals and enthusiasts do regard Qatar Racing Club as a prime destination. While constructing the Qatar Racing Club, the vision of the involved stakeholders, decision makers and designers was to enable a top notch and world class drag racing facility in the Gulf that could stimulate the interest of the local youth in modern sports (Qatar Racing Club 2011: Online). This much cherished and sincere vision became a reality in the year 2009, when the inauguration ceremony of the Qatar Racing Club was attended by a select list of more than 100 ace international racers and avid spectators and fans from across the globe (Qatar Racing Club 2011: Online). The most unique thing about the Qatar Racing Club its technical suaveness and a thoroughly professional design. Qatar Racing Club one of the most technically advanced drag racing venue in the Gulf if not in the world. It also proclaims to be the fastest racing surface in the world, a fact that is well corroborated by some of the fastest timings recorder in the event competitions held at this venue (Qatar Racing Club 2011: Online). The club commands a ? mile all concrete racing surface backed by some of the best maintenance and television production facilities (Qatar Racing Club 2011: Online). Qatar has something to offer to the fans of all sports genres. Tennis is one another upcoming sport in Qatar that is poised to go big in the times to come. Not only Qatar owns some of the best tennis complexes in the world, but also regularly hosts international tennis tournaments like Qatar Open Tennis. Of late, the wonderful thing is that international women tennis competitions have also discovered a new hole in Qatar. Qatar hosted the WTA Tour Championships in the women’s tennis at its plush Khalifa International Tennis Complex in Doha, between 2008 and 2010. Qatar’s aspiration to build a sports legacy is not in vain. The authorities in Qatar became well aware of the socio-political changes happening in the region well in time. The Gulf culture, which was unique and traditional, was eventually getting exposed to the winds of change. The local youth was increasingly coming in contact with the outside influences, courtesy the commercial operations, media and the internet. The aspirations of young people were striving to carve out a unique identity that was a mix of both the old and the new. To give expression to such aspirations, sports were just the right medium. Sports field is the place which allows for the harmonious mixing of disparate values, while extending pride and opportunity to all the contenders. Luckily, Qatar also had the requisite financial strength and political will. So, Qatar’s ambition to build a lasting sports legacy is in consonance with the needs and requirements of the changing times. Chapter 3 Methodology This study is qualitative in nature that intends to gather relevant and concrete information, views and data pertaining to Qatar’s sporting legacy from disparate media, textual and online sources. In addition the study will resort to conducting interviews of the local and international experts, sporting personalities, sports enthusiasts visiting Qatar and a random sample of the local population to develop a complete and holistic view regarding Qatar’s sporting legacy and its viability and relevance. Three interview protocols will be developed for this study. First will be the expert version, second the sports person version and the third meant for the local and visiting sports enthusiasts. The questionnaires designed will attempt to ascertain the views and opinions of the three distinct groups of participants that are the experts, sports person and sports enthusiasts. The study is not bound and constrained by any grave ethical limitations. The one possible limitation of the study is that it is based on a select sample, and secondly the participants’ opinion may be influenced by their personal politics and subjective perception. The collected data, interview responses and observations will be transcribed in the Microsoft Word files and systematically saved. Appropriate statistical tests and techniques will be applied as per the nature of the gathered data, if indicated. Chapter 4 Proposed Timeline The study is expected to adhere to the following schedule: 10-03-2011 to 30-04-2011: Extensive research pertaining to Qatar’s sporting legacy covering a wide range of textual, media and online sources. 01-05-2011 to 31-05-2011: Selection of three distinct interviewee groups that are experts; sports personal and sports enthusiasts. 15-05-2011 to 31-05-2011: Preparing the questionnaires. 01-06-2011 to 20-06-2011: Conducting of interviews through direct contact, telephonically and via e-mail 21-06-2011 to 30-06-2011: Analysis of the interviews 01-07-2011 to 31-06-2011: Drafting of the dissertation August 2011: Submission of dissertation Reference List AAP Sports News (Australia) 2008, Olympics: Qatar Confident of Successful 2016 Bid, AAP Sports News (Australia), HighBeam Research, viewed 24 February 2011, < http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-152288302.html >. Bale, John, and Mike Cronin 2003, Sports and Post Colonialism, Berg, New York. Casey, Michael 2010, Qatar: From Desert Long shot to 2022 World Cup Host, AP World Stream, HighBeam Research, viewed 24 February 2011, . Central Intelligence Agency 2011, Qatar, World FactBook, Central Intelligence Agency, viewed 16 February 2011, < https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/qa.html >. Davidson, Christopher M 2009, Dubai: The Vulnerability of Success, Columbia University Press, New York. Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies and Research 2008, Arabian Gulf Security: Internal and External Challenges, Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies & Research, Abu Dhabi. General Secretariat for Development and Planning 2010, Economy of Qatar, Books LLC, Doha. Hong, Fan 2006, Sport, Nationalism and Orientalism: The Asian Games, Routledge, New York. Marley, Ben 2010, Webster’s Guide to World Governments: Qatar Featuring Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, 6 Degrees Books, New York. Middle East Economic Digest 2002, An Olympian Task. Middle East Economic Digest, EMAP Business Information Ltd., HighBeam Research, viewed 22 February 2011, . Owen, Roger, and R Said Zahlan 1998, The Making of the Modern Gulf States: Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, The United Arab Emirates and Oman, Ithaca Press, London. Qatar News Agency 2011, Qatar 1st in the Arab World in Political Stability and Respect of Law, Qatar News Agency, viewed 19 February 2011, . Qatar Racing Club 2011, Welcome to our Site, Qatar Racing Club, viewed 24 February 2011, . Siddiqi, Moin 2010, ‘Qatar: A Beacon of Stability in Troubled Times’, The Middle East, June 2010, pp. 35-49. Stacey International (ed.) 2000, Qatar, Stacey International Publishers, New York. The Hindustan Times 2007, Qatar Reaping Benefits of 2006 Asian Games, The Hindustan Time , HT Media Ltd., HighBeam Research, viewed 24 February 2011, < http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-1369036811.html >. Xinhua News Agency 2007, Qatar to Host Outdoor Asian Games 2011, Xinhua News Agency, HighBeam Research, viewed 22 February 2011, . Read More