According to the latest findings from YouGov Siraj’s survey of over 2000 Arab residents of the Middle East, over two thirds (68%) of respondents agree they felt proud of the Middle East when they heard that Qatar had won the FIFA World Cup .They believe it is a well deserved win for a nation with vision (68%) and a milestone in history (79%).

“It is not surprising to see such a strong result. Having recently moved to Qatar, it has been amazing to see the strength of feeling amongst locals and ex-pats alike”. says Jane Wilson, Research Director for Qatar at YouGov Siraj. ”Feelings are strong across the whole region, the initial thoughts people reported in the survey show this strength of pride from the GCC to North Africa and comments included”:  “Sure proud an Arab country won the FIFA World Cup TM” (Egypt), “Good planning from Qatar” (Kuwait), “Thrilled” (KSA), “Amazing” (Syria).

The win by Qatar will be good for the whole of the Middle East. Over three quarters believe it will encourage tourism to the Middle East (81%) and open doors to trade to/from the Middle East (76%). They agree it is great for Middle Eastern economies and will help to improve understanding of the Middle East (both 74%). It is felt this has come at the right time (69%).

Rapid TV News reports that according to, Grant Thornton consultants, revenues gained from Middle East rights to televise prime football matches are expected to rise 30% to by the time Qatar hosts the FIFA World Cup in 2022 by $550 million. According to the source, World Cup TV audiences have risen almost 350% in the Middle East since 1986, while TV penetration rates in Qatar itself have grown from 67% to 94% since 2002.

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Rapid TV News reports that Nilesat is currently installing state-of-the-art geolocation technology that will help identify the location of the troublesome signals and locate culprits that have been jamming its signal and interfering in some of its news channels as well as Al Jazeera Sports’ screening of the FIFA World Cup soccer games.

Nilesat has already established a near-foolproof technology fix for the soccer transmissions by allocating an extra pair of transponders for Al Jazeera’s sports transmissions, on the basis that it is doubly hard to interfere with two transponders at the same time.
 

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The National reports that Abu Dhabi’s Ministry of Economy has been receiving complaints from consumers that some distributors had raised the cost of Al Jazeera Sport viewing cards for the World Cup broadcasts, forcing the ministry to investigate on this issue. It has been reported that football fans who have paid more than the recommended price for World Cup viewing cards are being urged to keep their receipts and report the seller to the ministry.
Al Jazeera has been requested to publish adverts in newspapers reminding customers of the official cost of the card to avoid price gouging.

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Lambie-Nairn, a leading branding and design consultancy, has created a new identity system for Qatar's 2022 bid for the FIFA World Cup. Qatar 2022 sets out to be a completely new type of World Cup; compact for the benefit of the fans and the environment, customised to the interests of the teams and the promise to create a strong legacy for the sport in the entire region.

In addition, it will be the first time the FIFA World Cup will come to the Middle East, a region brimming with sporting potential.

Christian Schroeder, CEO of Lambie-Nairn explains: "In order to generate the support required for a successful bid, the brand needs to communicate these unique benefits on a national Qatari level to generate support, on a regional level to secure the backing of its neighbours in an underdeveloped football region, and perhaps most importantly, providing FIFA with the opportunity of continuing its strategy of bringing the World Cup to the world."

Supplied with a simple logo, Lambie-Nairn has created an identity system that is incredibly flexible to keep work fresh as it's realised across hundreds of applications and a broad media mix. Drawing inspiration from the youthful vibrancy of the Arab state and the passion and energy of football, the extensive identity includes a suite of bold football illustrations, dynamic photographs, bespoke calligraphy, a newly commissioned font and a world of colours and textures that standout both on-screen and in print. The work has made the shortlist of Lambie-Nairn entries into the Corporate Identity category of Cannes Lions 2010.

FIFA will announce their decision on 2022's host country in December 2010. This year's FIFA World Cup kicks-off on 11 June in South Africa.
 

According to Arabian Business, UAE telecom provider du, is still finalising a deal to show live coverage of the FIFA World Cup. Customers were concerned they would miss out on the live coverage of the world's premier sporting event; however, du reassured its customers that the company was in the final stages of talks with content providers and would shortly announce packages for the World Cup.

Broadcasting rights across the region are owned by Al Jazeera Sport, and can currently be accessed either by purchasing an Al Jazeera Sports card or through Etisalat’s pay TV E-Vision.

Both are charging existing customers around $100 to upgrade to the World Cup service.

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Rapid TV News reports that ART is planning to exit the pay-TV market before even covering this summer's South Africa-based World Cup soccer tournament. There were signs that the agreement had broken down when ART failed to show some games from the Africa Cup competition played this past January.

ART had previously said it would cover the games despite having sold the rights to Al Jazeera Sports Channels. ART had earlier said that its subscribers would still be able to view the games under a "rebroadcast agreement" it had negotiated with Al Jazeera.
 

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