“The government and people of Saudi Arabia congratulate you for this great achievement,” King Abdullah said, adding that it is also an achievement for the Gulf and for the whole Arab and Islamic world. “This is the result of good preparations,” he added.

King Abdullah commended the Qatari officials for the tremendous efforts they made to win the title. “Saudi Arabia shares your happiness in this great victory, which reflected the hopes and aspirations of all Arab and Muslim people,” the king told the Qatari ruler.

Crown Prince Sultan, deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, sent a similar message to Sheikh Hamad. King Abdullah and Prince Sultan also congratulated Russian President Dmitry Medvedev for his country being picked to host World Cup in 2018.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter said soon after the vote that he was happy over World Cup visiting the Middle East for the first time. "We go to new lands. Never has the World Cup been in Russia and Eastern Europe, and the Middle East and Arabic world have been waiting for a long time so I'm a happy president when we talk about the development of football."

His sentiments were echoed by Qatar bid chief Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad Al-Thani, who said in Zurich: "Thank you for backing us and expanding the game. You will be proud of us and you will be proud of the Middle East." Real joy and celebration broke out in the Arab streets soon after Qatar's name was flashed on the screen as the winner of the right to organize the 2022 World Cup finals.