Excerpt:
It's a tale of Qatari riches, disadvantaged French communities, politics and public image. The French government announced earlier this week that it would contribute to a fund to economically reinvigorate the country's disadvantaged suburbs, or "banlieues" as they're known in France. While on the surface the decision may seem unremarkable, the fund, which was initially to be financed entirely by Qatar, has been dogged by controversy.
The story began in November 2011, when ANELD - a French minority advocacy group comprised of elected officials from the country's suburbs - approached Qatar's ruler, Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, with the idea to create a fund for business projects and proposals submitted by banlieue residents.
According to Leila Leghmara, vice-president and treasurer of ANELD, the small but oil-rich Gulf state had long expressed an interest in France's disadvantaged areas, where youth unemployment can reach beyond 40 percent.