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 Swiss and U.S. authorities are investigating both Russia and Qatar's
successful campaigns to stage the 2018 and 2022 tournaments.
FIFA, world soccer's governing body, has said the countries may be
stripped of the cup if evidence emerges of bribery in the bidding.
Qatar denies any corruption was involved.
The decision to hold the tournament in Qatar was already
controversial because of its extreme summer heat, which caused FIFA
to move it to winter, forcing domestic leagues to change their
schedules.
The deaths of migrant workers while building new stadiums has also
drawn criticism from international human rights and labor
organisations.
The United Arab Emirates state news agency WAM and the Qatari state
news agency QNA said Gulf information ministers had called Qatar's
winning of the hosting rights "a success for all the states of the
GCC".
"The information ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council renewed
their call to confront through the media anyone who seeks to
question the eligibility of the State of Qatar to organize the 2022
World Cup," WAM and QNA said in indentical reports.
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U.S. prosecutors stunned international soccer last month by
indicting 14 senior administrators and business figures, including
FIFA officials, over alleged bribery and corruption in the sport.
The scandal turned the spotlight again on the Qatar bid.
Qatari Foreign Minister Khaled al-Attiyah told Reuters last week
that criticism of his country was due to prejudice and racism.
(Reporting By Noah Browning, Editing by William Maclean and Angus
MacSwan)
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