Qatar is winning the war of words in its ongoing dispute with the Saudi-led bloc and has tried to take the moral high ground, feel some analysts.
“While Riyadh has gone on a very negative PR offensive in Washington and London against Qatar, Doha has avoided the temptation to go low and has tried to take the moral high ground,” said Andrew Bowen, a visiting scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, a think-tank, as reported in the Financial Times recently.
“As a result, Qatar so far is winning the war for western hearts and minds, much to the chagrin of the quartet (imposing the embargo).”
Private surveys in Europe indicate that Saudi Arabia’s image has been tarnished by its perceived bullying of Qatar and its military intervention in Yemen, according to a pollster.
On June 5, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt imposed an embargo on Qatar, triggering the Gulf’s worst diplomatic crisis in decades.
The dispute has worried western diplomats who see their allies pitted against each other and are concerned about what they view as the overly aggressive action taken against Doha, according to the report.
Besides leading the unjust siege of Qatar, Riyadh has also faced criticism over its role in a devastating war in Yemen, where it has been accused of bombing civilian targets.
Now, in a bid to improve its standing, Saudi Arabia is reportedly planning to set up public relations hubs in Europe and Asia as part of a new offensive to counter negative media coverage of the kingdom.
The Saudi information ministry could set up “hubs” in London, Berlin, Paris and Moscow as early as this month, according to a document seen by the Financial Times.
The initiative could be expanded to Beijing, Tokyo, Mumbai and other big cities from next year, the document adds, although people familiar with the plan say it is in its early stages.
The global hubs will produce press releases, publish content on social media and invite ‘social influencers’ to visit Saudi Arabia.
The ministry wants to use public relations firms to set up operations to “distribute the Saudi perspective on global developments”, the document says.
The conservative kingdom has for years struggled to improve its image in the west.
It has been criticised for its treatment of women, who are banned from driving, and alleged human rights abuses.
A more interventionist foreign policy, led by Crown 
Prince Mohamed bin Salman, has put Saudi Arabia under greater scrutiny.
Riyadh is leading a coalition of states in Yemen in a conflict that is entering its third year and has triggered one of the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with millions of people facing food shortages and at risk of cholera. 
Courtesy: The Financial Times


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