Qatari experience in public diplomacy reviewed at conference in Katara

The two-day international conference on 'Public Diplomacy in the Arab Gulf States: Policies and Practices,' organised by Katara Public Diplomacy Centre (KPDC) in co-operation with the Gulf Studies Centre (GSC) at Qatar University, concluded Monday.
Attended by diplomats, researchers, academics and experts, the event witnessed the presentation of 30 research papers. A statement from Katara explained that the papers discussed aspects of public diplomacy while covering culture, education, health, sports, humanitarian and relief aid. Also, the participants reviewed the Qatari experience in public diplomacy and its modern methods in the Arab Gulf countries.
Engineer Darwish Ahmed al-Shaibani, CEO of KPDC, said international researchers and experts highlighted the achievements made by Qatar and the Arab Gulf countries in public diplomacy. They reviewed the strategies on which public diplomacy is based and the extent of its effectiveness and impact on official roles to achieve the foreign policy goals of countries. Qatari public diplomacy has taken a prominent, distinguished and influential place in the strategy of the country, he said.
Dr Mahjoub al-Zwairi, director of the GSC, said the working papers and research presented at the conference focused on studying the development of public diplomacy in the Arab Gulf countries and their practical policies and practices in their political, cultural, economic and humanitarian aid fields.
The final day witnessed an opening session on 'Thoughts and Reflections on Qatar's Experience in Public Diplomacy', moderated by Dr Shaaban Karades. Dr Majid bin Mohamed al-Ansari, adviser to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, explained the interest of Qatar in using public diplomacy in its foreign policy.
“There is a difference between the concepts of public diplomacy and soft power, and it’s important to differentiate between them and think about public diplomacy in a way that does not limit the idea of any country's external ability to influence,” he said.
Al-Ansari also explained the importance of sport as a tool of public diplomacy and highlighted the major sporting events hosted by Qatar, including the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, the Asian Games and investment in large sports clubs, as this made the country globally appreciated thanks to its excellence in organising, hosting, sponsorship and attention.
The final day also had various sessions on public diplomacy in Qatari foreign policy and academics shed light on various aspects.