Reuters/Dubai
Gulf states rallied behind Qatar following allegations published by Britain's Sunday Times newspaper that a senior Qatari soccer official made payments to win the country's bid to host the 2022 World Cup.
Qatar has vehemently denied the accusations.
Secretary-General Abdullatif al-Zayani of the Gulf Co-operation Council attacked what he called a "biased media campaign".
"The Secretary-General affirmed the GCC's ... complete support in the face of all doubters and haters and everyone who is attempting to lessen (Qatar's) right to host this historic global sporting event," the GCC statement said yesterday.
Qatar won its bid through "honest competition," he said.
The World Cup has never been held in the Middle East before.
Qatar on Saturday defended its campaign and rejected the corruption allegations which it said were timed to coincide with an investigation by FIFA, world soccer's governing body, into the bidding process for the 2022 World Cup and the one before it in Russia in 2018.
The GCC statement will provide welcome support for Qatar.
