For the second consecutive year, Qatar continued to disregard Bahrain's appeals for normalizing relations and ending the political dispute initiated by Manama years ago. Despite signing the Al-Ula Agreement in January 2021, the Qatari ruling family decided there was no need to repair relations with its smaller neighbor.

In the Bahraini reflection on the year 2022 and the World Cup, the harvest of fields unveils a disappointing reality in terms of competition, production, and development. Across these arenas, Bahrain finds itself devoid of any semblance of competitiveness, productivity, or progress. Instead, we witness a desolate landscape in every aspect.

Doha has spent around $300 billion (113 billion Bahraini dinars) to build a modern infrastructure including airports, ports, roads and express trains, while Al Khalifa has racked up billions in public debt to meet its personal family aspirations.

Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa has never seemed as isolated as he was at the opening ceremony of the World Cup in Doha 2022, the ruler of the closest neighbor to the host country.

The Speaker of the Qatari Shura Council denounced the position of the Speaker of the Arab Parliament, Adel Al-Assoumi, a Bahraini national, who "failed to condemn the malicious campaigns" against Qatar hosting the FIFA World Cup, "even though the majority of Arab Parliament members stood by the State of Qatar and supported issuing a statement in this regard."