DOHA, Oct 25: With the World Cup less than a month away, the major event is where Qatar "proves itself" on various fronts, both economically and culturally, said Qatari Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani. This came in a speech delivered Tuesday by the Qatari Amir during this year's opening session of Qatar's Shura Council. "Since we won the honor of hosting the World Cup, Qatar has faced an unprecedented campaign that no other host nation has received. And we had handled it at first in good faith while considering some of the criticism positive and beneficial," Sheikh Tamim told the Shura Council. Sheikh Tamim added that the criticism has helped Qatar "develop aspects that needed development".

Furthermore, Sheikh Tamim touched on the latest Qatari economic developments, saying that Qatar's gross domestic product in the first half of this year alone spiked by 4.3 percent coupled with a 7.3 pct growth rate of the non-oil sector, in comparison to the same period in 2021. "The hike in energy prices turned a projected budget deficit at the beginning of the year into a surplus of QAR 47.3 billion in the first half of the year," he added.

Regarding Qatar's foreign policy, the Amir highlighted Qatar's key position in achieving peace regionally and globally, noting that Doha's approach "is based on complying with international law" and "adopting preventive diplomacy in defusing crises before they escalate. "The commitment to and application of these principles has made Qatar a reliable partner in peace making and stability support," Sheikh Tamim added. (KUNA)