Qatari politicians have called the investigation into alleged corruption in its World Cup bid “racist” and accused the West of anti-Arab bias.

Foreign minister Khaled al-Attiyah spoke out after prosecutors in the US charged nine international football officials with money laundering and racketeering and Swiss authorities announced their own probe into the award of the 2018 and 2022 tournaments.

“The attack on Qatar's World Cup is racist,” he was quoted as saying by the editor of Qatari pro-government newspaper al-Sharq.

“Hosting the tournament is not only in our interest but in the interest of all Arabs.”

Fifa vice president Jeffrey Webb was among the officials arrested at a Swiss hotel on Wednesday over bribery claims.

Officials claimed the case would not affect the next two World Cups, due to be held in Russia in 2018 and Qatar in 2022, but it has turned international scrutiny on both countries’ bids.

The former Qatari Prime Minister, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani, told Fox News that his country was having to fend off more criticism than Russia.

Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani (left) and Fifa President Sepp Blatter pose with the World Cup after the Qatar announcement in 2010 (AFP/Getty Images)

“Is it because it's an Arab, Islamic, small country? That's what the people in the region feel,” he said on Sunday.

“If you think of the opportunities to bring the people in the Middle East and Arabs closer to (the West), I don’t think this attack will help.”

Mr al-Thani, who was Prime Minister from 2007 to 2013, said Qatar won the rights to hold the World Cup fairly and without corruption, following persistent bribery claims.

“I believe that (the allegations) show the ugly face of the other party when they did not win a fair competition,” he added.

The Fifa bigwigs facing charges Show all 14 1 /14 The Fifa bigwigs facing charges The Fifa bigwigs facing charges Jeffrey Webb, 50, Cayman Iskands A Fifa vice president. His arrest came as a big surprise, as he had been tipped as the man to clean up Fifa once Blatter departs. Webb is also president of Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) and the Cayman Islands Football Association Getty The Fifa bigwigs facing charges Costas Takkas, 58, UK A British citizen, Mr Takkas is currently an attache to the Concacaf president. He was previously general secretary of the Cayman Islands Football Association, of which Mr Webb is president The Fifa bigwigs facing charges Jack Warner, 72, (pictured), Daryan Warner, 46 and Daryll Warner, 40, Trinidad & Tobago The former Fifa vice president and head of Concacaf was a dominant force in football for 30 years, but was suspended from his roles in 2011 amid accusations of corruption dating back to the 1980s and an investigation by Fifa's ethics committee. He later resigned, ending the proceedings against him. Daryan Warner, the son of Jack Warner is also believed to have co-operated with the FBI. He pleaded guiltyin October 2013 to wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy and the structuring of financial transactions, forfeiting $1.1m. Daryll Warner, another of Jack Warner's sons, he pleaded guilty to various offences in July 2013. A former Fifa development officer, he lost the job in 2012 after his father's resignation amid corruption allegations. He and his brother both face up to 10 years in prison Getty The Fifa bigwigs facing charges Charles Blazer, 70, USA The former Concacaf general secretary reportedly turned "supergrass" to help the FBI inestigation, using a bugging device hidden inside a key fob to record meetigs with his Fifa colleagues at the London 2012 Olympics. In November 2013 he pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy, wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, and income tax evasion. Seriously ill with colon cancer Getty The Fifa bigwigs facing charges Rafael Esquivel, 68, Venezuela Executive committee member of the South American Football Confederetion (Conmebol). It is alleged that officials at Conmebol, which organises the Copa America, received bribes from marketing executives Reuters The Fifa bigwigs facing charges Eugenio Figueredo, 83, USA/Uruguay The Fifa vice president and executive committee member is a big name in world football, having previously been at the head of Conmebol and the Uruguayan Football Association. A former right-back Reuters The Fifa bigwigs facing charges Nicolas Leoz, 86, Paraguay A former Fifa executive committee member and Conmebol president. When he retired in 2013 for health reasons, he said: "I've not stolen so much as a cent" Getty The Fifa bigwigs facing charges Eduardo Li, 56, Costa Rica President of the Costa Rican Football Federation. He was elected to Fifa's executive commitee in March Reuters The Fifa bigwigs facing charges José Maria Marin, 83, Brazil The former president of the Brazilian Football Confederation is also a member of Fifa's committee for Olympic tournaments Reuters The Fifa bigwigs facing charges Julio Rocha, 64, Nicaragua Fifa development officer. Previously president of his country's football federation EPA The Fifa bigwigs facing charges José Hawilla, 71, Brazil The owner and founder of the Traffic Group, a sports marketing conglomerate, pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy, wire fraud conspiracy, and money laundering conspiracy in 2014. Two of his companies - Traffic Sports International Inc and Traffic Sports USA Inc - have also pleaded guilty youtube.com The Fifa bigwigs facing charges Aaron Davidson, 44, USA President of Traffic Sports USA, is a large promoter of football events in America AP The Fifa bigwigs facing charges Alejandro Burzaco, 50, (pictured), Hugo Jinkis, 70 and Mariano Jinkis, 40, Argentina Alejandro Burzaco, a media executive who controls Torneos y Competencias, a sports marketing business. Hugo Jinkis, is the president of Full Play Group, a sports marketing business in Argentina. His son Mariano, is vice president AP The Fifa bigwigs facing charges José Margulies (AKA José Lazaro), 75, Brazil Although he is in broadcasting, it is alleged he served as an intermediary to facilitate illicit payments between sports marketing executives and Fifa officials youtube.com

The country beat Australia, Japan, the United States and South Korea to host the football tournament in a decision that was greeted with astonishment when it was announced in 2010.