The Qatar Government paid for First Minister Mark Drakeford to stay in a luxury five-star hotel during his visit to the country as part of his World Cup trip, a Freedom of Information (FOI) request has shown. The request also revealed the Qatar Government provided the accommodation, board, and transport for the First Minister and accompanying officials as a part of a hospitality package.
The First Minister, minister for economy Vaughan Gething and four officials stayed in the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Doha for three nights. The response to the FOI submitted by BBC Wales says that this hospitality package was offered to all delegates and their travelling parties attending the World Cup. The Ritz Carlton hotel in Doha is described on its website as being set on a private island offering a "rich resort experience".
There were calls long before the tournament started for Welsh Government figures to boycott Qatar over concerns about the country’s human rights record, its treatment of migrant workers who built the stadiums used in the World Cup and stance on LGBTQ+ rights, with homosexuality illegal in the country.
