Brasília – The governments of Brazil and Qatar will launch the Year of Brazil-Qatar Culture 2014 this Wednesday evening (18th) in Brasília. The goal is to mutually publicize the cultures of the two countries via activities such as exhibitions, fairs, concerts, and film screenings.
One of the main convergence points between the two countries, as per the initiative, will be the hosting of major international sporting events. Brazil will host the FIFA World Cup in 2014, and Qatar, in 2022.
“Brazil-Qatar cooperation in sports dates back to the 1960s, when [Brazilian soccer team] Santos went to Qatar to play against a local team. After that, Brazilian coaches have coached Qatari teams,” said the Qatari ambassador in Brazil, Mohamed Al Hayki.
According to him, Qatar hopes to learn from Brazilian experience in organization, security, and promotion of the 2014 World Cup. The ambassador said technical teams from Qatar have come to Brazil to keep tabs on Cup-related activities, and that Brazil’s Sports minister Aldo Rebelo has been invited to visit the venues in Qatar.
This Wednesday, the ambassador will launch the Year of Culture to an audience of authorities and a Qatari delegation. December 18th is the date set for the launch because it is the Qatar National Day. On January 27th, Brazil will launch the initiative in the Qatari capital, Doha, at the Museum of Islamic Art. According to the Brazilian Ministry of External Relations, the intention is to bring the two cultures together, strengthen ties, and promote cooperation.
Qatar has a population of approximately 1.9 million, large oil and natural gas reserves, and is located in the Gulf, next to Saudi Arabia. The country has a high Human Development Index (HDI), as per the United Nations’ assessment. Qatar’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is one of the world’s highest.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
