Rarely has a state changed its character so completely in so short a period of time. Previ- ously content to play a role befitting its small size, Qatar was a traditional, risk-averse Gulf monarchy until the early 1990s. A bloodless coup in 1995 brought to power an emerging elite with a progressive vision for the future.

Financed by gas exports and protected by a US security umbrella, Qatar diversified its foreign relations to include Iran and Israel, established the satellite broadcaster Al Jazeera, assumed a leading role in international media- tion, and hosted a number of top-level sporting tournaments, culminating in the successful FIFA World Cup 2022 bid.

Qatar''s disparate, often misunderstood, policies coalesce to propagate a distinct brand. Whether to counter regional economic competitors or to further tie Qatar to the economies of the world''s leading countries, this brand is de- signed innovatively to counter a range of security concerns; in short, Qatar is diversifying its dependencies.Qatar''s prominent role in the Arab Spring follows a similar pattern, yet the gamble it is taking in supporting Islamists and ousting dictators is potentially dangerous: not only is it at risk from ''blowback'' in dealing with such actors, but a lack of transparency means that cliches and assumptions threaten to derail ''brand Qatar''.


Format Inbunden Omfång 356 sidor Språk Engelska Förlag C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd Utgivningsdatum 2017-01-12 ISBN 9781849043250