Doha Rejects Israel's Request to Open Consulate in Qatar During FIFA World Cup - Reports

DOHA (Sputnik) - The Qatari authorities have turned down an Israeli request, conveyed through FIFA, to open a consulate in Doha to help Israelis during the FIFA World Cup in the kingdom, the Al Araby Al Jadeed news portal reported on Thursday, citing sources.

"Israel had submitted a request through FIFA to open a consulate to assist Israelis in case of need during the Cup in Qatar, but Doha has rejected the request," the source told the newspaper.

Jaber Al Hirmi, the former editor-in-chief of the Al Arab newspaper, confirmed that information on Twitter.

Israeli Foreign Minister and Alternate Prime Minister Yair Lapid said earlier that Israelis would be able to attend World Cup matches in Qatar by entering the country with Israeli passports, under an agreement with FIFA. The Israel Hayom newspaper reported that some 15,000 Israeli fans have already bought tickets to the World Cup matches in Qatar.

The first FIFA World Cup in the Middle East and the Arab world is scheduled to be held starting from November 20 until December 18. As expected, the World Cup in Qatar will be the most expensive in the history of football competitions. The Qatari authorities have previously reported that hosting the World Cup will cost the country about $200 billion, taking into account the construction of stadiums, subways, new roads, hotels, and large-scale reconstruction of the entire infrastructure in the country.