| Popis: |
The Qatar Investment Authority, the sovereign wealth fund of the Persian Gulf Emirate, has chosen Paris as the primary sporting destination for its oil-generated wealth, purchasing the Paris Saint-Germain football club and Paris Handball through Qatar Sports Investment (QSI). QSI’s general director is also in charge of Al-Jazeera Sport, which, through the subscription channel beIN SPORT, presently holds broadcasting rights to the French football league. In this fashion, Qatari investors make use of their association with the Paris ‘brand’ – the city’s international reputation as the ‘city of light’ and its related cultural capital – to project a positive image of Qatar globally. This wielding of ‘soft power’ ultimately serves to legitimise Qatari investment in non-sporting domains and appropriates elements of France’s sporting landscape to further its geopolitical aims. |
