Qatar's World Cup organisers have ridden out the initial shock caused by the country's continuing confrontation with its powerful neighbours but experts warn bigger crises may lie ahead.
Fifa is studying a proposal to expand the 2022 football tournament from 32 to 48 teams, an increase that could pose the greatest risk yet to Qatar's plan to host the first World Cup in the Arab world.
Qatar has already come under scrutiny over allegations of corruption and human rights abuses but that may be nothing compared with pressures it faces in the run-up to 2022.
"I think Fifa's proposal represents the biggest threat to the tournament simply because it would wrong-foot Qatar into sharing the tournament with other countries," said Simon Chadwick, a sports and geopolitics expert at Britain's Salford University.
Sharing the cup, he said, would represent "something of a defeat for Doha".
In the year since Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and their allies, including Egypt, froze relations with Qatar – accusing it of supporting terrorism and being too close to Iran – World Cup organisers have proved resilient.
The embargo, in place since June 5, 2017, cut off the supply of construction materials from Saudi Arabia and the UAE but they were swiftly replaced by imports from Malaysia and China.
By the end of this year, three of the eight stadiums earmarked for 2022 will be completed.
The design for Lusail, the stadium set to host the World Cup 2022 final, is expected to be unveiled by the end of the year.
Qatar's colossal weekly budget of $500 million (Dh1.8 billion) on World Cup infrastructure has been used to build new roads, hotels, neighbourhoods, even towns – its $36bn metro system is on track to open next year.
"Our projects are going ahead as scheduled," said Hassan Al Thawadi, one of the World Cup organisers, after the crisis began.
"This is no risk in relation to the hosting of the World Cup."
And while gas-rich Qatar has proved it can weather the economic consequences of the crisis, the politics of the boycott have proved more difficult. And football has found itself in the firing line.
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Read more:
Qatar puts its political ambitions ahead of its people, UAE's Gargash says
Terrorist activity in Bahrain falls after Qatar boycott, foreign minister says
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Officials in Saudi Arabia and the UAE have openly called for Qatar to be stripped of the World Cup.
A Swiss investigation into the controversial awarding of the 2022 tournament to Qatar is continuing.
Qatar's sports broadcaster beIN Media – which has exclusive Middle East rights to televise this year's World Cup – has found itself the victim of a vast pirating operation allegedly based in Saudi Arabia.
"The crisis is not about football but the World Cup does seem to have become a tool in the ongoing stand-off," said Kristian Ulrichsen, a fellow at Rice University's Baker Institute.
"It would be an enormous coup for the Saudis and Emiratis if they could do anything to throw Qatar's hosting rights into question."
The political crisis has also seeped into the South West Asian Football Federation – launched in Saudi Arabia in May.
Members of the new federation include Saudi, the UAE and Bahrain but not Qatar.
Qatar has bought time on the highly controversial issue of labour, appeasing some critics by agreeing to a vast reform programme.
But should Fifa at its June 13 congress in Moscow move to expand the number of teams in the 2022 cup, Qatar would have to tackle a heavily expanded workload on a tight timeline.
A 50 per cent increase in teams would strain Qatar's ability to host the tournament.
While Doha initially bid for 12 stadiums, it is only building eight.
Questions have also been raised over how the country will accommodate the up to 1.5 million fans expected to attend the event – and that's before 16 teams are added.
Optimists suggest one solution could be to share the tournament with others in the region – a face-saving way for Qatar, Saudi and the UAE to rekindle ties with games in all three countries.
But only one nation has so far offered to help Qatar in 2022 - Saudi Arabia's arch-enemy, Iran.
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European arms
Known EU weapons transfers to Ukraine since the war began: Germany 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 Stinger surface-to-air missiles. Luxembourg 100 NLAW anti-tank weapons, jeeps and 15 military tents as well as air transport capacity. Belgium 2,000 machine guns, 3,800 tons of fuel. Netherlands 200 Stinger missiles. Poland 100 mortars, 8 drones, Javelin anti-tank weapons, Grot assault rifles, munitions. Slovakia 12,000 pieces of artillery ammunition, 10 million litres of fuel, 2.4 million litres of aviation fuel and 2 Bozena de-mining systems. Estonia Javelin anti-tank weapons. Latvia Stinger surface to air missiles. Czech Republic machine guns, assault rifles, other light weapons and ammunition worth $8.57 million.
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BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
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World Cricket League Division 2
In Windhoek, Namibia - Top two teams qualify for the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe, which starts on March 4.
UAE fixtures
Thursday February 8, v Kenya; Friday February 9, v Canada; Sunday February 11, v Nepal; Monday February 12, v Oman; Wednesday February 14, v Namibia; Thursday February 15, final
If you go
The flights
Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Luang Prabang via Bangkok, with a return flight from Chiang Rai via Bangkok for about Dh3,000, including taxes. Emirates and Thai Airways cover the same route, also via Bangkok in both directions, from about Dh2,700.
The cruise
The Gypsy by Mekong Kingdoms has two cruising options: a three-night, four-day trip upstream cruise or a two-night, three-day downstream journey, from US$5,940 (Dh21,814), including meals, selected drinks, excursions and transfers.
The hotels
Accommodation is available in Luang Prabang at the Avani, from $290 (Dh1,065) per night, and at Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp and Resort from $1,080 (Dh3,967) per night, including meals, an activity and transfers.
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
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