5 things to know about World Cup host Qatar

PARIS: Qatar, the controversial host of the football World Cup, is a key US ally in the Middle East that is rich in gas and oil.

Here are five things to know about the desert peninsula:

Qatar is one of the smallest Arab states with a population of 2.9 million, most of whom are foreign workers.

The country was a British protectorate for 55 years until 1971.

It has been ruled by a monarchy, the Al-Thani family, since the mid-19th century. The current emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, rose to power in 2013 after his father Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani abdicated.

The country's first-ever legislative elections were held in October 2021. None of the 26 women candidates won a seat in the 45-member Shura Council.

Qatar is one of the world's largest producers and exporters of liquefied natural gas.

It has one of the highest per capita GDPs in the world at US$61,276 in 2021, according to the World Bank, two-and-a-half times that of Saudi Arabia.

The Qatar Investment Authority, one of the biggest sovereign wealth funds in the world, has spent lavishly to snap up key landmarks and luxury brands in Europe, including Britain's luxury store Harrods, London's Shard skyscraper and France's Balmain fashion house.

Qatar weathered a major diplomatic crisis and a three-and-a-half-year blockade by its Gulf neighbours between June 2017 and January 2021 with only limited damage to its economy.

Tensions had been brewing since the Arab Spring of pro-democracy movements, which Doha had supported but fellow Gulf monarchies had not.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt cut ties with Doha, accusing it of supporting terrorism and fostering close ties with their regional rival Iran - charges Doha denied.

Riyadh and its allies made a