InterviewWhy BTS Jung Kook's military service was bad news for Qatar tourism

Qatar Tourism Chairman Saad Bin Ali Al-Kharji speaks during a joint interview with Asian media on the sidelines of the Qatar Economic Forum at the Raffles Fairmont in Doha, Wednesday (local time). Korea Times photo by Park Jae-hyuk

DOHA, Qatar — "I don't want him in the military. I want him to sing and amuse people."

That was the lighthearted response from Qatar Tourism Chairman Saad Bin Ali Al-Kharji when asked on Wednesday (local time) by The Korea Times about inviting K-pop artists to the Middle Eastern country to attract more tourists.

Recalling an unsuccessful attempt last year to bring BTS main vocalist Jung Kook — who performed "Dreamers" at the opening ceremony of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar — the chairman stressed that Korean culture is essential to his organization's efforts to position the country as a family-friendly destination hosting major concerts, exhibitions, conferences and festivals every week.

"My six-year-old kid even said, 'Dad, I want the Squid Game biscuits,' so I made that at home and tried to eat it without breaking … This is why I think any Korean event will attract people," he said during a joint interview with Asian media on the sidelines of the Qatar Economic Forum.

The oil- and gas-rich country has aggressively attracted tourists and foreign investments in recent years as part of efforts for the Qatar National Vision 2030, aimed at reducing reliance on fossil fuel exports.

Qatar Tourism hopes for the tourism industry to account for 12 percent of GDP by 2030, and the Investment Promotion Agency of Qatar (Invest Qatar) launched a $1 billion incentive program recently to boost both foreign and local investments.

Investment Promotion Agency of Qatar CEO Sheikh Ali Alwaleed Al-Thani speaks during a joint interview with Asian media on the sidelines of the Qatar Economic Forum at the Raffles Fairmont in Doha, Wednesday (local time). Korea Times photo by Park Jae-hyuk

"The base load of our energy supply is not just competitive in terms of pricing, but also it is the most sustainable base load in the region — 70 percent gas with CCS (carbon capture and storage) and 30 percent solar by 2030," Invest Qatar CEO Sheikh Ali Alwaleed Al-Thani said during a separate meeting with Asian reporters the same day.

"That is a great offering for many highly automated or energy-intensive industries, of which Asian manufacturers would play a significant role," he added.

Regarding investments by Korean companies, he cited a new partnership signed that day between Samsung C&T and the Qatar Free Zones Authority for renewable energy and data center projects.

"We've had a lot of historical contributions from Korean businesses, when it comes to infrastructure development and capital construction, but also we see them diversifying into new areas, such as technology and manufacturing as well," he said.

However, Korea remains a potential competitor to Qatar when it comes to the Middle Eastern country's plan to host another global sporting event to further boost its economy.

The Qatar Tourism chairman said the country can "go for" the 2036 Summer Olympics, signaling a possible rivalry with North Jeolla Province, which has declared its bid to host the event.

Calling the 2022 World Cup a launch pad to increase tourist inflow, he noted that stadiums and infrastructure were built not just for the football tournament but to keep hosting major sporting events, including the World Table Tennis Championships, which was ongoing in Doha at the time of the interview.

"We have no limits for our goal of hosting big events," he said. "The success of the World Cup gave us a green light to go for the Olympics or any Olympic tournaments this year."