INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani said at the opening ceremony of the FIFA World Cup on Sunday that the event brings together
people of all nationalities and beliefs.&From Qatar, from the Arab world, I welcome everyone to the World Cup 2022,& he said in a speech in
&How lovely it is that people can put aside what divides them to celebrate their diversity and what brings them together all at once.&A show
unfolded on the pitch, featuring three camels, American actor Morgan Freeman and a performance of a new tournament song called Dreamers
featuring singer Jungkook of K-pop boy band BTS, alongside Qatari singer Fahad Al-Kubaisi, Reuters reported.Saudi Arabia&s crown prince and
the presidents of Egypt, Turkey, and Algeria, as well as the United Nations Secretary-General, are among leaders at the tent-shaped stadium
ahead of the first match between the hosts and Ecuador.For the first time, a direct commercial flight from Tel Aviv to Doha landed in Qatar
on Sunday despite the absence of formal bilateral ties, in a deal brokered by FIFA to carry both Palestinians and Israelis to the
tournament.The Gulf state&s Deputy Prime Minister Khalid Al Attiyah, in remarks on state media, said Qatar was reaping benefits of years of
&hard work and sound planning.&On Saturday, FIFA&s Infantino rounded on European critics of Qatar, saying engagement was the only way to
improve rights, while Doha has also pointed to labor reforms.The post Qatar&s emir says World Cup gathers people of all beliefs first
