SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Senate President Stuart Adams attended a World Cup match as part of a trip paid for mostly by the government of Qatar, after Adams participated in a trade mission to the country earlier this year.

Adams is the second high-ranking Republican Utah official to receive a trip to Qatar, after KSL.com reported that Attorney General Sean Reyes received airfare, lodging and match tickets from the Qatar government last month to see the United States play England.

Utah Senate Chief of Staff Mark Thomas said in a statement that Adams joined with World Trade Center Utah as part of Gov. Spencer Cox's trade mission to the Middle East in September. Adams and members of the World Trade Center Utah met with Sheikha Hind bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, CEO of the Qatar Foundation and sister of Qatar Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

The group discussed a potential exchange student program between Utah and Qatar, according to a summary of the visit.

"While there, (Adams) met with officials from the Qatar government and the royal family," Thomas said. "During the visit, President (Adams) invited members of the royal family and their children to Utah, and we are hopeful of their anticipated visit in the next year."

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Qatar government paid for Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes' trip to see World Cup match

The government of Qatar paid for a trip to the World Cup there for Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes. A spokesman says it was because Reyes consulted with the country on human trafficking.

Thomas said the Qatar government subsequently invited Adams and his family to attend the World Cup.

"He accepted and attended the United States match with two of his grandkids in November," Thomas said. "Qatar arranged and paid for most of the accommodations. No state or taxpayer funds were used."

Thomas later clarified that Qatar paid for "travel accommodations for the President and grandkids."

It's unclear which match Adams attended, or if he traveled with Reyes.

A spokesperson for the governor's office said neither Gov. Spencer Cox or Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson were invited to Qatar for the World Cup, and a spokesperson for the Utah House of Representatives said none of the House leaders traveled to the country.

Utah law doesn't prohibit gifts to lawmakers — unless they're given by registered lobbyists or are obviously given as a part of a bribe — so the gifts likely don't constitute a violation. Still, the trips likely cost thousands of dollars each.

Round trip airfare from Salt Lake City to Doha can cost between $1,600 and $3,500 for an 18-hour flight, and individual match tickets for the group stage of the World Cup cost between $68 and $220 for nonresidents of Qatar, according to FIFA.

Even if the trips didn't violate state ethics law, the Utah Democratic Party said it is concerned with state leaders accepting gifts from Qatar, which has been under intense scrutiny recently for its poor human rights track record.

"It is extremely concerning to learn that not one, but two high-ranking Republican elected officials in our state have abused their position of public trust to cozy up to a country which has an egregious record of human rights violations," party spokesman Ben Anderson said in a statement.

"Utahns didn't elect Sean Reyes or Stuart Adams to cash in on their positions for luxurious, all-expenses-paid trips to Qatar, they elected them to get things done for our state. We deserve better than out-of-touch politicians who exploit their elected offices for personal gain."

Qatar was considered a surprise pick when it was selected to host the World Cup in 2010, and the U.S. Department of Justice in 2020 accused representatives of Qatar of bribing FIFA officials to secure hosting rights. The small gulf nation has faced further criticism for its human rights record and the harsh conditions foreign workers faced while working to build the stadiums and infrastructure to host 32 soccer teams and fans from around the world.

Up until 2020, Qatar operated a kafala system, where foreign workers were bound to their employers and barred from changing jobs or leaving the country without permission. Leading up to the 2022 World Cup, more than 6,500 migrant workers from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have died in the country, according to The Guardian.

Qatar said only between 400 and 500 workers have died in preparation for the tournament.

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