• Qatar has been subjected to a “unprecedented campaign”
• FIFA granted Qatar the World Cup in 2010, and since then, it has spent tens of billions of dollars getting ready.

DOHA: Qatar has been subjected to a “unprecedented campaign” of criticism over its World Cup preparations, according to Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, the country’s ruler.

“Since we won the honour of hosting the World Cup, Qatar has been subjected to an unprecedented campaign that no host country has ever faced,” the emir said in a speech.

FIFA granted Qatar the World Cup in 2010, and since then, it has spent tens of billions of dollars getting ready.

However, the oil-rich Gulf state has consistently come under fire for how it treats foreign labourers and discriminates against LGBTQ people and women.

“We initially dealt with the matter in good faith, and even considered that some criticism was positive and useful, helping us to develop aspects of ours that need to be developed,” the emir told Qatar´s legislative council.

“But it soon became clear to us that the campaign continues, expands and includes fabrication and double standards, until it reached an amount of ferocity that made many question, unfortunately, about the real reasons and motives behind this campaign,” he said.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has said the Qatar World Cup, the first in an Arab nation, will be the “best ever”.