Earlier this week, the Opening Ceremony of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022TM picked up a gold medal at a prestigious international awards ceremony.

In the BeaWorld Festival, an awards ceremony that recognizes the best creative talent in the world of sports and events, the spectacular Opening Ceremony of the first FIFA World CupTM in the Middle East and Arab world dominated the Best Sporting Event category.

Qatar 2022's Opening Ceremony was recognized alongside Al Nehem the WhaleShark - The Lusail Icon for Best Creative Installation out of 333 competing events from 24 countries.

With contemporary and innovative narratives, both events were developed by Balich Wonder Studio, a leader in creating live entertainment experiences part of the Media and Entertainment powerhouse, Banijay.

An unforgettable 30-minute ceremony that was broadcast in over 170 countries became part of football's history and brought Qatar's vision of unifying the world to life.

With the support of Qatar 2022 LLC and the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, the iconic Opening Ceremony was conceived and produced by Balich Wonder Studio.

WhaleShark - The Lusail Icon, was named best Creative Installation, recognizing Marco Balich's use of Qatar 2022 as a backdrop to symbolize Qatar's preservation of its natural environment. After becoming a social media sensation, seen by millions of people all over the world, the WhaleShark is now a permanent icon of sustainability as well as a new landmark for the country.

The Chairman of Balich Wonder Studio, Marco Balich, said: "We believe that projects of this magnitude are unique opportunities to spread good messages to the world, and we are thrilled to have supported Qatari leadership and the outstanding work done by Qatari and worldwide professionals." Hopefully, we can make the country shine again on the international stage.