The story: Qatar is moving to leverage the FIFA World Cup to solidify its rapprochement with Egypt and Saudi Arabia. At the opening of the tournament, Qatar’s Emir was photographed together with the visiting Saudi crown prince and the Egyptian president. Doha has also labored to use the World Cup as a platform to help promote dialogue among regional rivals, facilitating a meeting between the leaders of Egypt and Turkey. 

The coverage: Since the end of their 2017-21 rift with Qatar, most members of the Arab Quartet (Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates) have enjoyed warming relations with Doha. 

The Emirates News Agency (WAM) on Nov. 20 reported that Emirati Vice President—and Dubai ruler—Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum attended the World Cup’s opening match...