Qatar players celebrate a last-minute goal that clinched a 1-1 draw with Switzerland at the World Cup. Canada takes on Qatar in Vancouver on Thursday in each side's second match.Carlos Barria/Reuters
A large squad of Qatari security officers, as well as four camouflaged SUVs and four Light Armoured Vehicles, arrived in Vancouver ahead of the country’s FIFA World Cup match against Canada on Thursday.
Mounties said the officers are in the city to participate in training exercises with the RCMP and share what they learned from policing the last World Cup in their tiny Persian Gulf nation in 2022. Vancouver is hosting seven matches, the last of them on July 7, and is expecting tens of thousands of fans.
A video recently posted to some of Qatar’s official social media channels shows a massive air transporter touching down on a suburban Vancouver runway to unload roughly 70 Qatari officers and the military-style vehicles. The Qatari contingent is seen being met by Mounties in red serge with RCMP vehicles flashing their lights, before scenes depicting the SUVs charging along the TransCanada Highway toward BC Place stadium.
Interspersed are jump cuts to serene city scenes of families playing on the grass beside Vancouver’s Science World – its iconic dome transformed into a FIFA soccer ball – and a middle-aged man in lycra huffing on his bike as he rides around Stanley Park.
The end of the 64-second social media clip flashes a badge on screen emblazoned with “Tournament Security Force” in Arabic and English. A caption posted to multiple Qatari government accounts states the Lekhwiya unit, an elite counter-terrorism squad also in charge of protecting VIPs, is there to co-ordinate with local authorities because of its expertise gleaned from policing the 2022 World Cup.
Alphonso Davies available to face Qatar as Canada chases elusive World Cup win
The RCMP wouldn’t confirm whether the unit will be attached to Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
“The RCMP will not comment further on specific protective measures or operational security arrangements,” Andrew DiRienzo, a spokesperson from the RCMP’s Ottawa headquarters, said in a statement.
At one point when the Qataris were planning their trip, they asked if they could fly in police horses for ceremonial purposes, but this offer “was not pursued,” the RCMP told The Globe and Mail.
Mr. DiRienzo said in an e-mailed statement that the Qatari police are not allowed to carry their firearms within Canada and that the Mounties are closely collaborating with their foreign counterparts to ensure they are abiding by established protocols prohibiting them from enforcing any laws.
“Their activities are limited and carefully managed to ensure they align with Canadian law and respect Canada’s sovereignty,” the statement said.
Mounties are responsible for protecting all visiting heads of state, foreign dignitaries and internationally protected persons, with their special protective services unit determining the level of security needed for these people. If a country makes plans with the RCMP ahead of time, the statement said, their foreign security officers may accompany their dignitary in Canada and play a supporting role.
Qatar’s embassy in Ottawa did not respond to multiple requests for comment this week.
By introducing hydration breaks at the World Cup, FIFA’s money-making motor is just getting started
Wesley Wark, an Ottawa-based senior fellow and security expert at the Centre for International Governance Innovation thinktank, said Qatar’s sizable deployment is typical of Gulf leaders worried about terrorism. He added that the official welcome the RCMP rolled out to the unit is also indicative of Ottawa’s desire to strengthen relations with the nation of about 3.2 million people.
Prime Minister Mark Carney became the first Canadian leader to visit Qatar in January and agreed to sign a bilateral trade agreement by this summer with Qatar, one of the world’s largest exporters of liquified natural gas with an economy worth nearly $290-billion, before the recent conflict in the Middle East.
“At FIFA, Canada is very interested in opening up closer trade ties with various Gulf States including Qatar, which is a big hub for foreign investment,” Mr. Wark said. “So I’m sure there were no real obstacles put in the way of the idea of the Qataris bringing a security detail – Canadians might be surprised by the extent of it.”
Mr. Wark acknowledged concerns from international human rights organizations that Qatari police have abused human rights, but noted they will not have any power to arrest or detain anyone in Canada.
He said it is unusual for Gulf leaders to travel outside of that region and Qatar seems to “have overdone” its security in Vancouver.
The Mounties also confirmed Qatar is sending “football intelligence officers” to mingle in plain clothes at the match to identify then help deescalate any crowd tension. The RCMP said New Zealand and Switzerland’s police forces are also sending “spotters” to Vancouver, while Bosnia-Herzegovina, Germany, Croatia and Iraq have their own officers “reading” the crowds in Toronto.