Soft Power as “Beauty, Brilliance, Benignity”: The Case of the Aspire Zone Elite Sports Complex in Qatar

Brannagan, Paul Michael ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4003-8420 and Perkin, Seth Joseph ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3959-1904 (2023) Soft Power as “Beauty, Brilliance, Benignity”: The Case of the Aspire Zone Elite Sports Complex in Qatar. Journal of Arabian Studies, 13 (1). pp. 91-109. ISSN 2153-4764

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Abstract

This paper examines the soft power capabilities of Qatar’s Aspire Zone elite sports complex by using Alexander Vuving’s categories of “beauty”, “brilliance”, and “benignity”. The study demonstrates how the Aspire Zone produces soft power for Qatar in a number of ways. First, the knowledge and world-class expertise on hand at the Aspire Zone have helped situate the Aspire Zone as the “go-to” place for sports training, science, and medicine. Through the Aspire Zone, Qatar has garnered prestige, leadership, and influence. As others regularly turn to the state for solutions to shared problems, Qatar extends its network of allies through those it helps. Second, the Aspire Academy’s Football Dreams project reminds others of Qatar’s desire to help those beyond its borders. This not only situates Qatar as a “good global citizen”, but positions the state as a welcoming destination which others can easily seek best practice knowledge and advice. Finally, the production of elite athletes adds to the expertise power of both the Aspie Zone and Qatar. With every success of Qatari athletes, the state shows its capacity to overcome a typical small state problem –– to produce a high-quality stock of athletic talent despite significant limitations linked to its small population.