World Cup in Qatar from the inside: “fake” fans and fun under the veil

Before the whole football world had time to move away from the resounding victory of Saudi Arabia over Argentina, a new sensation took place! The Japanese team beat another favorite of the tournament, the German team. The Germans were in the lead until the 74th minute of the match thanks to Ilkan Gündoğan’s penalty until Ritsu Doan equalized. The winning ball into Neuer’s goal in the 83rd minute was hammered by Takuma Osano. Both players play in the Bundesliga and are well acquainted with German football.

Our compatriot Nadezhda Vasilyeva, who came to Qatar to work with foreign fans, tells how this amazing championship goes and what, in addition to football, fans can see in the emirate, especially for MK.

A strict attitude towards women and naked knees of tourists is a topic that worried many on the eve of the start of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. There were also rumors that the Qataris bought fans from the local workforce to pose as foreign fans.

Is it true that the Qataris paid foreigners to pretend to be fans? I don’t know how true it is that they paid them and brought them to Doha specifically for this. But there are really a lot of Indians, Pakistanis, Africans and others here, because someone needs to work and build all these skyscrapers and stadiums. Here, in fact, everyone is very neighing about the fact that yesterday there was nothing in Doha, but today there is everything. The Qataris joke: “You see this wasteland, in two days there will be a subway at this place!”. We giggle and they do!

Qataris do not like public transport. And they don’t like to walk – they travel by metro, which was specially built for the World Cup, and by car only from door to door. There are many visitors here: someone has to clean the streets and work in a taxi. On the eve of the opening of the World Cup, November 19, in the center of Doha, everything was full of people. If you look closely, it became clear that these were the so-called “fake-fans” (fake fans). Of course, they themselves are interested in all this, so I doubt that they are paid for this. Moreover, when Europeans or Americans gather in restaurants and watch matches, the working staff or Indians passing by are happy to stop for a minute and follow what is happening on TV with one eye.

The Jordanian, who has lived here for 18 years, has flatly refused to agree that the Qataris are paying workers to pose as fans. “No, the fact is that my son and I live here and we love football too. We consider ourselves Qataris and support our national team.” Sounds plausible.

I went to Qatar, a new district of Doha, where there are many shops, restaurants, a mosque, theaters, a planetarium. In the part that looks at the water, there is a beach – there is a cultural village. Very similar to the Moscow festival “Times and Epochs”.

At the Qatari fair, people dress up in local clothes, build colorful huts, sell souvenirs, show how the people of the Persian Gulf used to live. There are tents that represent different countries, including Oman, Beirut, Kuwait, Qatar. In them you can treat yourself to local cuisine, play various national games, look at how these peoples collected pearls and fished a hundred years ago.

It’s funny that some people in these tents paint their national souvenirs for the World Cup. For example, straw hats in the colors of national flags. There are local national boats in the bay, which probably used to go for pearls. Now they are decorated with flags of all countries. Simply for beauty.

In the Omani tent, men play national instruments and dance. Women stand aside. At some point, their dance was like a game: people gather in a circle, clap and dance. I clapped to the beat, but I didn’t dare to go inside – it’s somehow unsuitable for a Russian girl to dance with Omani men. But a man in a white robe stood nearby, who agreed to hold my bag and literally forced me to take part in national dances. I joined – twisted my arms and legs, as I like.

But still wondering if it’s right?

The Cathars, of whom there were many in the area, reassured me. They speak excellent English, so after talking with some of them, I realized that they were not against my dancing with men. And in the minds of the locals, I am not a promiscuous woman. “You dance, please, and we will look from the side,” they said. It’s great that you can dance with Omani men and not be “demoted” for it.

It is worth noting that very beautiful girls are hiding under the black robes of the Cathars. And very friendly. It’s hard to approach them just like that, but if you cross eyes or start a conversation, they are very open and lively. With one 13-year-old Qatari we managed to play a local game. Her mother sat next to her and looked at us. And I was very upset when I found out that I would leave Qatar on December 20, after the end of the World Cup. She invited me to the museum where she works as a guide. And the other Cathar woman even wanted to see me at her wedding!

— Oh, come to my wedding in February! – she said.

– Do you, like in India, have a wedding for 400 people? I asked.

“There is a women’s wedding, and there is a men’s wedding,” answered the Cathar.

You cannot photograph them. Even more so without permission. But they themselves are happy to approach tourists to shoot a video and post it on social networks. Or just take a photo. The Qataris respect women very much, and not only their own – they open doors, give way to the best places.

If you were born a Qatari, then in life you don’t have to worry anymore – you are fully supported by the state upon the fact of birth. You receive benefits for any reason: the birth of a child, a wedding – in general, you can live well and not work. As in Russia, the Qataris do not need to spend money on roads of 9 thousand km in different directions. Therefore, they provide their citizens without problems.

But it is impossible to become a Qatari, even if you marry a citizen of this country.

As for the appearance of tourists – in fact, you can walk as you like. Even the clothes of the locals are the business of each of them personally. It is a matter of religion, upbringing and family. Many expats walk with open shoulders and knees. But no one will touch tourists here. Moreover, many of them walk in football equipment, and this implies open arms and legs. There are certain areas in Doha where the locals mostly live. There, of course, you will not be beaten for clothes, but you will lose respect in their eyes.

In Qatar, there are certain crimes for which they can be beaten with rods. For example, rape, murder, or an accident caused by a drunk driver. For an accident, expect 70 rods in your back, traces of which remain for two months. Of course, they don’t hit for everything. There are fines and jail time. But there is a very low crime rate, so you feel safe. Of course, now the whole world has arrived in Qatar, and anything can happen. But the Qataris live with open doors and cars are also not closed.