Introduction

Background

Since the mid-1800s, Qatar has been governed by the Al Thani family. Over the past 60 years, it has transitioned from a financially constrained British protectorate primarily recognized for its pearling industry to an independent nation benefiting from substantial hydrocarbon revenues. Former Amir HAMAD bin Khalifa Al Thani, who executed a bloodless coup against his father in 1995, initiated extensive political and media reforms, unprecedented economic investments, and an expanding role for Qatar in regional leadership, notably through the establishment of the pan-Arab satellite news organization Al-Jazeera and Qatar's involvement in mediating various regional conflicts. In the 2000s, Qatar settled its long-standing border disagreements with both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, and by 2007, Doha had achieved the highest per capita income globally. Unlike other countries in the Near East and North Africa, Qatar did not encounter domestic unrest or violence during the events of 2011, attributed in part to its vast wealth and patronage systems. In mid-2013, HAMAD abdicated peacefully, passing leadership to his son, the current Amir TAMIM bin Hamad. TAMIM enjoys popularity among the Qatari populace due to his management of the country during an economic blockade imposed by several neighboring states, his initiatives to enhance the healthcare and education sectors, and his efforts to expand national infrastructure in preparation for hosting international sporting events. Qatar achieved a historic milestone as the first Arab nation to host the FIFA Men’s World Cup in 2022.

In the wake of regional unrest in 2011, Doha took pride in its backing of numerous popular revolutions, notably in Libya and Syria. This position negatively affected Qatar’s relations with Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which temporarily withdrew their ambassadors from Doha in 2014. Subsequently, TAMIM managed to improve Qatar’s ties with Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE in November 2014 through Kuwaiti mediation and the signing of the Riyadh Agreement. However, this reconciliation was brief. In 2017, the Quartet—Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE—terminated diplomatic and economic relations with Qatar due to purported breaches of the agreement and other grievances. They reinstated relations in 2021 after a declaration was signed at the Gulf Cooperation Council Summit in Al Ula, Saudi Arabia. In 2022, the United States recognized Qatar as a major non-NATO ally.