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With the National Sport Day 2026 set for Tuesday, what appears to be a simple day off work is actually a calculated economic investment, according to a Carnegie Mellon University Qatar (CMU-Q) professor. The annual observance isn't just about fitness — it's a strategic policy tool that pays dividends long after the workout ends.“Qatar’s National Sport Day is an economic policy in disguise. By nudging a large share of the population to be active, it is an investment in human capital as healthier people are less absent from work; they work better and stay productive longer. Over time, even small improvements in activity can ease pressure on healthcare spending, which frees resources for other priorities,” Dr Agustín Indaco, associate teaching professor in economics at CMU-Q told Gulf Times.The immediate economic impacts of observing such a day, according to Dr Indaco, are manifold. He explained: “The National Sport Day also creates a predictable burst of demand for the local sports economy such as gyms, coaches, events, equipment and venue operators while giving businesses a ready-made focal point to launch workplace wellness programmes that can persist even after the observance of the day. In other words, one day off can pay for itself if it helps shift habits and workplace norms for the other 364 days.”The official believes that Qatar has progressed as a global sporting hub after the FIFA World Cup. “It is best assessed by whether it has transitioned from staging a single mega-event to operating a repeatable hosting platform. The most convincing evidence is the continued flow of major events and the ability to run them smoothly across different sports, audiences, and governing bodies,” he highlighted.The academic stressed that Qatar has embedded itself in the global calendar through Formula 1 at Lusail, high-profile football showcases, such as the Finalissima, major tennis tournaments, regular international golf events, elite athletics meets, and a growing slate of regional and world championships, including the upcoming FIBA Basketball World Cup in Doha.“Economically, this matters because repeat hosting of mega events generates recurring demand for tourism, hotels, airlines, retail, and local services, while strengthening the case for long-lived investments in transport, venue management, and hospitality capacity. The developmental payoff is not just infrastructure, but capability building, a workforce and institutions that learn to deliver complex events reliably,” he continued.Dr Indaco remarked that the identity impact follows the same logic. “Repeated successful hosting turns the World Cup from a singular moment into an ongoing reputational asset, shaping how Qatar is seen and how it sees itself as a connected, modern country whose global role is expressed, in part, through sport,” he underlined.Highlighting the facilities offered at Qatar Foundation’s Education City he said it is a great place to indulge both in sport and academic activities.“The Education City is an unusually strong place to study sports analytics because the whole ecosystem blends serious academics with a lived culture of sport, including the presence of a FIFA World Cup stadium right in the Education City. That setting makes it natural for students to connect classroom tools to real events and real institutions,” he said.The academic also pointed out that CMU-Q offers rigourous technical skills through its Business Administration programme, where mathematics and statistics are used to solve real-world business problems, including in the realm of sport.“They can complement that training with the Economics minor, which provides a systematic framework for thinking creatively about incentives, strategy, uncertainty, and human behaviour, the foundations of good analytics.”“And for students who want to apply those ideas directly, our Sports Economics course brings data and economic reasoning to questions teams and leagues actually face, helping students develop both the technical competence and the analytical judgment needed for careers in sports analytics,” added the expert. 

Qatar Chamber Chairman Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim al-Thani has affirmed the strength of the historic relations between the Arab world and the UK, particularly in the commercial, economic, and investment fields.Sheikh Khalifa, who is also the first vice president of the Arab-British Chamber of Commerce (ABCC), was the guest of honour of the ABCC’s 50th anniversary, where he lauded the chamber as a “distinguished institution”.“For five decades, the Arab-British Chamber of Commerce has served as a cornerstone in strengthening commercial and economic ties between Great Britain and the Arab world,” said Sheikh Khalifa.He noted that the Arab-British partnership, “built on principles of trust, mutual respect, and shared interests”, has played a vital role in reinforcing bridges of communication and cooperation between the two sides.Sheikh Khalifa also underscored the significant role played by the private sector in deepening strategic partnerships and contributing to economic and social development that benefits future generations.“The vital role of Arab investments in the UK, alongside the contributions of British companies through their expertise in the development of projects in our region, reflects the strength and resilience of our trade and economic partnership,” he said.The celebration was attended by Qatar Chamber board member Rashid bin Nasser al-Kaabi and ABCC interim secretary general and CEO Rita Massoud, as well as heads of Arab chambers and Arab and British business leaders. 

Minister of Labour of the Arab Republic of Egypt Mohamed Abdel Aziz Gibran discussed with His Excellency Mohamed bin Ahmed Al Obaidli, Board Member of the Qatar Chamber, ways to enhance bilateral cooperation in the economic and investment fields and to encourage Qatari investors to enter the Egyptian market. The two sides also reviewed Egypt's labor law during the meeting and explored mechanisms to overcome challenges facing investors in the Egyptian labor market. During the discussions, he reviewed the latest amendments to the Egyptian Labour Law, which include the establishment of an emergency fund to support workers and struggling companies, as well as the creation of an entity dedicated to training and upgrading workers' skills. He noted that the new law aims to foster a stimulating work environment conducive to investment and to support a secure and stable investment climate in Egypt. The meeting also reviewed the outcomes of the Minister's recent visit to Qatar, during which he met with representatives of the Qatari private sector. The visit resulted in positive understandings aimed at strengthening cooperation in the fields of labor, training, and employment. For his part, Al Obaidli praised the deep fraternal relations between Qatar and Egypt, affirming the Qatar Chamber's keenness to expand cooperation between the two countries across economic, commercial, and investment domains.