A New Dawn for the Middle East: Public Diplomacy and In uence Campaigns in the Middle East

Abstract

(Ala ho la dan) Look who we are, we are the dreamers - We make it happen cause we believe it “Ala ho la dan” is a cheerful expression which sailors used to sing before starting their journey on the seas of the Arabian Gulf. The lyrics above, which foreground this expression, are from the song “Dreamers”, included in the o cial Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup Anthem for 2022.The inclusion of these lyrics at such a high-pro le event is a tribute to the Arab world’s new approach to public diplomacy. The 2022 FIFA World Cup was more than an exciting event for Qatar and the Arab world. It was a signi cant milestone in terms of many things, including the economic, environmental, knowledge, and infrastructure development for the entire region. This research is primarily focused on the Public diplomacy and in uence campaigns in the Middle East, and it provides an understanding of contemporary soft power strategies in the region. The researcher intends to explore four Soft Power models in the Middle East: Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and United Arab Emirates. The research will be conducted according to a qualitative method and all the information obtained will be secondary data, obtained from resources available.