But Qatar’s hosting of the World Cup has provided a moment where many in the Arab world have rallied by Doha and the Saudi team’s win. But despite an attempt by al-Qaida to stir up extremists, the monthlong World Cup in energy-rich Qatar so far has seen unity among the Gulf Arab nations. “We are proud to be here for the first World Cup in an Arabic country,” Morocco coach Walid Regragui said. The Saudi flag itself carries two images that show its complicated place in the wider Arab world. ___AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Source: The North Africa Journal November 26, 2022 08:17 UTC