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AlJazeera Centre for Studies’ latest book, Qatar’s Foreign Policy 1995 – 2013: Leverages and Strategies, was authored by Dr. Jamal Abdullah and released May 2014. The book provides an in-depth reading of the state of Qatar’s foreign policy given its position as one of the six member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) as well as the country’s significant regional and international role. When the former Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, took power in 1995, he adopted a reform approach internally and externally, elevating Qatar to a privileged position and giving it unprecedented momentum in various fields, particularly diplomacy and foreign policy. This became even more evident after the outbreak of the so-called Arab Spring revolutions in December 2010.
This book deconstructs the structure and construction of Qatar’s foreign policy during the reign of Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani from 1995 to 2013, reviewing elements of this policy, policy constants and major developments during this period. The author adopted a research methodology based on scientific descriptions. Using the systems analysis approach and inductive analysis, Dr. Abdullah focused on problem-solving and challenges that must be overcome to stay relevant, avoiding an approach which limits the focus to reasons driving political behaviour. In a geopolitical and future prospective approach, the author also provided an explanation for the phenomenon in question and predicted future paths.
The book contains eight chapters and highlights patterns of institutional structure and decision-making mechanisms which impact leverages and strategies of Qatari foreign policy. Also discussed are key actors and collaborators in Qatari diplomacy, the decision-making path in foreign policy and the internal coordination of international policy within the country. The book examines updates to the country’s foreign policy and Qatar’s strengthening role in preserving boundaries of regional balance. It also defines geographical and functional relationships in bilateral and multilateral agreements. Dr. Abdullah concludes the book with general conclusions about Qatar’s foreign policy path, using them to make predictions on the general parameters of a new era led by Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.
Title: Qatar’s Foreign Policy 1995 – 2013: Leverages and Strategies
Author: Dr. Jamal Abdullah
Publisher: AlJazeera Centre for Studies and Arab Scientific Publishers
Pages: 230
Year: 2014