London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Jul 29, 2025

World Cup: Drakeford has no regrets over Qatar hotel freebie

World Cup: Drakeford has no regrets over Qatar hotel freebie

Wales' First Minister said he did not regret accepting a free five-star hotel stay in Qatar during the World Cup.

BBC Wales revealed on Wednesday that Qatar paid for two ministers and four officials to stay at the Ritz-Carlton.

Mark Drakeford said he had to take the hospitality package for security reasons and could not go to meetings without it.

"While it wasn't the way we would have chosen to go to Qatar, it was unavoidable," he said.

News of the hospitality package prompted concerns it may have undermined the Welsh government's stance on human rights, while Amnesty International challenged ministers to show they raised the issues.

Qatar has been criticised for its treatment of LGBT people, women and migrant workers.

Mr Drakeford said he raised human rights concerns at "every conceivable opportunity" while he was in the country.

While the Welsh government paid £13,000 for flights, a BBC Freedom of Information request found that Qatar paid for Mr Drakeford, Economy Minister Vaughan Gething and four officials to stay at the five-star hotel.

The two ministers attended separate games alongside two officials each, with the two separate trips each lasting three nights.

Mr Drakeford's trip came despite Sir Keir Starmer's decision to stay away from the tournament.

UK government ministers also attended the World Cup, including Welsh Secretary David TC Davies, but it is not clear under whether they accepted the same package.

Mr Drakeford told BBC Wales: "I don't regret it, because it was the only way in which it was possible to discharge the purposes for which I went to Qatar.

"The security regime that surrounded the games simply meant that unless you were prepared to accept the arrangements that were there on the ground, you wouldn't have had physical access to the places where I needed to be [and] the meetings I needed to attend.

"While it wasn't the way we would have chosen to go to Qatar, it was unavoidable, if the visit was to discharge the purposes that were there for it.

"At every meeting that I attended, whether that was government ministers, businesses, arts organisations, interviews with local media there in Qatar, the issue of human rights, human values, workers' rights - those things were covered in every conceivable opportunity."

The Qatar government put Mark Drakeford and his economy minister up at the five-star Ritz-Carlton hotel


The Welsh government has repeatedly defended the trip, saying said the tournament gave it an opportunity to promote Wales on the world stage and to seek investment from Qatar.

Mr Drakeford said in November it was a "difficult and closely balanced decision" to go.

Asked about the arrangements for UK ministers, a Foreign and Commonwealth Office spokesperson said: "The World Cup was a major international event and it is right that the UK government was represented.

"Details of the visit will be published in the usual way".

Mark Drakeford said he had to accept a five-star hospitality package to carry out his meetings in Qatar


Mark Drakeford says he emphasised human rights in his meetings in Qatar


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
×