Qatar is 1 of the smallest and at the same time the richest countries in the world. Thanks to its tremendous wealth, Al Jazeer and efficient diplomacy, Qatar is 1 of the most crucial players in the mediate East and the leader erstwhile it comes to utilizing soft power. Qatar is simply a regional uniquely maintaining good relations not only with the US but besides Iran. However, Qatar's assertive abroad policy is simply a constant origin of tension with powerful neighbours – Saudi Arabia and the United arabian Emirates.
As early as Sunday, the football planet Cup will start at the Qatari stadiums. present I invitation you to a tiny tour after Qatar's abroad policy and function in the mediate East layout.
Gas mogul
Unlike the remainder of his neighbors, Qatar bases its power not on oil exports, but on gas exports. Qatar has the world's 3rd largest natural gas reserves and is the world's largest exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG).
The first gas deposit in Qatar was discovered in 1971 – in the same year the country gained independency from Britain. However, it was not until the mid-1980s that it was decided to start gas extraction. The “father” of the Qatari gas sector was the then successor of the throne, Prince Hamad.
Prince Hamad had very progressive views and advocated major reforms in the country. However, his father stood in the way, and at the same time the ruler of Qatar – Emir Khalifa.
When his father left for Switzerland in July 1995, Hamad decided to act. In the bloodless coup Hamad stripped his father of power and declared himself the fresh emir of Qatar. Thus began a fresh era in Qatar's history, an era of political and economical revolution.
Hamad focused on stepping up gas extraction and LNG production. It was a shot in 10. Qatar's GDP rose from $8 billion in 1995 to $1 115 billion in 2008 and to $1 175 billion in 2019. The resulting emir money was allocated to the fast modernization of the country.
Emir Hamad, who ruled Qatar from 1995 to 2013Time for reform
Hamad, sometimes called “Young Turk” (because of his progressive views), strengthened Qatar on many levels. He has liberalized social and political life. In 1999, Qatar, as the first arabian monarchy from the Gulf, granted electoral rights to women.
The same year, the first always free elections were held – to the city council in Dosze (capital). In 2004, by referendum, the first constitution in the past of the country was adopted, which, for arabian standards, guarantees a number of civilian rights and freedoms.
A broad educational improvement was besides carried out, expanding the number of schools and facilitating access, in particular, to higher education for women. The face of the education improvement was the wife of Emir Hamada, Moza bint Naser.
In this way, the employment rate among women in Qatar increased to 57%, which is the best in the arabian world.
Hamad's reforms were all the easier to implement, that Qataris, if – like the Saudis – are wahhabits, yet their worldview is more liberal. It is not without reason that the "wahhabism of the sea" is referred to as the "wahhabism of the desert".
Despite many reforms, however, Hamad's governments have not brought complete liberalisation of political life, and emir's power is inactive almost unlimited. any of the reforms were façade and aimed not at real "democratisation of the country", but at creating specified an illusion.
The "Democratic" reforms de facto stripped the tribes of the remnants of erstwhile autonomy and increased emir's power. Depriving the tribes of old privileges, in return, they created, theoretically, democratic institutions, which, however, were entrusted with little power than the tribal institutions so far.
However, the authoritarian governments of the emirus are accepted due to universal prosperity. Only about 11% of Qatar's residents have Qatari citizenship (approximately 330 thousand). These people travel in luxury, receiving tremendous financial support from the state.
Moza bint Naser, wife of Emir HamadSoft power is the future
Qatar is besides militaryly weak to influence the situation in the region by military means. The rifles, however, are obsolete. Now the planet can be controlled with mass media. In 1996 Hamad founded Al Jazeera, which became a "soft power" Qatari pearl.
Al Jazeera is presently 1 of the largest tv stations in the arabian world, and thanks to the net and broadcasting in respective languages, it reaches people in all parts of the world. This is simply a strong weapon in Qatar's abroad policy, which was seen especially during the arabian Spring (2010/11), erstwhile Al Jazeera's Egyptian relations played a large function in the fall of president Hosni Mubarak's power.
Another crucial tool of Qatar's soft power is very efficient diplomacy, which specializes in regional mediations. It was Qatar that played a key function in the end of the Lebanese civilian War or the US-Talib negotiations, which officially ended with the withdrawal of the US from Afghanistan.
Qatar is besides a harbor where political refugees from arabian countries can be sheltered – e.g. Jusuf al-Kardavi (1926-2022), an Egyptian who is considered 1 of the ideologists of the Muslim Brotherhood, not only received shelter in Qatar, but besides conducted his own tv programme on Al Jazeera for many years.
Moment of signing a peace agreement between the US and the Taliban, Qatar, 2020Between Saudis and Iran, that is Qatar's relation with its neighbours
After Hamad took power in 1995, Qatar began to prosecute a very assertive and multi-vector abroad policy. Qatar is simply a regional unique entity that has good relations with both Iran and the US.
In 2009, CENTCOM (US Army Command in the mediate East) converted Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar into its field headquarters. It is now the largest U.S. military base in the region, with about 10,000 soldiers stationed on it.
This does not prevent the Qatari from maintaining good relations with Iran as well. Qatar and Iran share the largest gas field in the planet (North Dome/South Pars). Qatar sided from criticizing Tehran's abroad policy, and repeatedly made friendly gestures towards Iran, e.g. the head of the Qatari Ministry of abroad Affairs expressed his condolences to the Iranians after General Solejmani was killed by the Americans in 2020.
Turkey is besides an crucial partner of Qatar, which became curious in the Persian Gulf again in the days of president Erdogan. Qatar and Turkey are the main sponsors of the Muslim Brotherhood. There is besides a Turkish military base in Qatar, where about 3,000 soldiers are to be stationed.
The increasing function of Qatar, however, has had a fatal impact on the relations of the tiny emirate with Saudi Arabia and the United arabian Emirates, who resent Qatar for supporting the Muslim Brotherhood (AS and the UAE consider the Brotherhood to be a terrorist organization). Saudom and Emirates besides very much dislike the influence of Al Jazeera on the moods among the people of the region – especially as Al Jazeera does not avoid criticism of the Saudis and the Emirates.
Change of watch
In 2013 the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2015/849. Hamad abdicated to his boy Tamim, who became the fresh emir. The exact reasons for this decision are unknown. However, it seems that this decision has been influenced by respective factors – mainly Hamad's deteriorating wellness condition and very tense relations with neighbours.
After the arabian Spring protests, the relation between Qatar and Saudi Arabia was very bad. Egypt was peculiarly problematic. Qatar supported the protesters, the Muslim Brotherhood and the fresh president Morsi (related to the fraternity). The Sauds were on the another side of the barricade. First, in 2011, they supported president Hosni Mubarak, and in 2013 they sponsored the military coup, which removed Morski from power.
Tamim's takeover of the throne was intended as an chance to reset his relation with the Sauds. The story, however, went in a different direction.
Tamim al Sani, emir Qatar since 2013.Qatar crisis
In 2017, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt began a land blockade of Qatar, demanding, among others, the closure of Al Jazeera, the expulsion of Turkish soldiers, the termination of Qatar's support for the Muslim Brotherhood and the limitation of Qatar's contacts with Iran.
At first president Trump supported the blockade, but shortly – most likely after talking to his advisors – changed his head and called for a peaceful resolution of the conflict. The presence of American troops at the Al Udejd base blocked a possible Saudi-Emiracy invasion of Qatar.
Turkey and Iran were besides immediately on the side of Qatar. The Turkish parliament approved sending troops to Qatar, and Iran offered Qatar access to its commercial ports – after entering the blockade Qatar had a problem with importing parts of the goods that had previously passed through the ports of AS and UAE.
Eventually the blockade ended with a spectacular defeat of the Saudis and the Emirates, pushing Qatar consecutive into the arms of Turkey and Iran. Following Trump's election defeat, an agreement was signed in Saudi Al Ula in January 2021 to end the blockade. This meant a immense triumph for Emir Tamim, who was not forced to make any concessions to the Sauds.
Successor of the throne of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman (left) with emir Tamim al Sanim, end 2021, after Qatar blockade endedSmall Power
Hamad introduced Qatar in the 21st century. Tamim continues his work. In just 30 years, Qatar has undergone massive changes, transforming itself from an insignificant player into a small, regional power. Armed with dollar bags, Al Jazeera and effective diplomacy, Qatar is able not only to compete with Saudi Arabia or the Emirates but besides to win this rivalry – which best shows the example of the Qatar crisis.
The organization of the planet Cup football, although there is large controversy in the world, is the culmination for Qatar itself of a process of expanding Qatar's function on the global stage, initiated in the 1990s by Hamad.
This is the first post dedicated to Qatar. This time about Qatar and large politics, but in a fewer days there will be further episodes of the Qatari series. I will take a closer look at Qatar's ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, as well as the surviving and working conditions of workers who built the Qatari stadiums where football planet Championships will be played in a fewer days.
