Hassan Al Thawadi – Influential Qatari

No matter what Hassan Al Thawadi decides to do, whether it’s bringing the FIFA World Cup to the Middle East or dealing with the allegations of corruption in the bidding process, he deals with the challenges with strong reasoned arguments. The pressure on the young Qatari shoulders is immense, but he has proven that he can get the job done.

In the history of Qatar, no one has been able to bring the international football extravaganza to the Middle East, even though the demand is strong. However, Thawadi was able to organize and coordinate everything needed to get the FIFA World Cup to consider the region.

First, he was able to build the infrastructure needed for the event, like a air-conditioned stadium. Second, he dealt with the international criticism regarding the timing of the event and the treatment of the workers. Finally, he lead the bidding committee that successfully got the event to come to the Middle East.

Despite the criticism, Thawadi keeps the focus on the main event and the spirit of the original vision – to get the World Cup to the Middle East. In fact, he was able to use the spotlight that the world put on the Middle East to highlight what steps they were taking to make the event a reality.

The masculine name Hassan means “Improver” or “Beautifier” in Arabic. The name is often transcribed as Hasan, however, both of the names mean the same thing in Arabic. The name is used in Persian, Pakistani, Arabic and Urdu languages.