Qatar would let Israel attend World Cup

By Tamara Walid

DOHA (Reuters) - Qatar would let Israel take part in a World Cup on its territory despite not recognising the Jewish state, the head of the Gulf nation's bid to stage the 2022 soccer extravaganza said on Tuesday.

Such an invitation would be unprecedented in the Arab world, most of whose countries shun Israel.

Hassan Abdulla Al Thawadi, chief executive of the Qatar 2022 bid, added that the Muslim state would also permit alcohol consumption during the world's most watched sporting event.

In a further attempt to make its bid more attractive, Qatar would develop cooling technologies to offset the summer heat during June and July, when temperatures in the desert state can exceed 45 degrees Celsius.

Qatar, the world's largest exporter of liquefied natural gas, is a U.S. ally. But, like its Gulf Arab neighbours, it does not recognise Israel.

"All nations participating in the FIFA World Cup are welcome," Thawadi said, when asked about whether Israel would be allowed to participate if it qualified.

If Qatar wins the right to host the event in 2022, it would be the first major global sporting event hosted in the Middle East.

"We are very confident," Thawadi told Reuters in an interview in the Qatari capital.