QATAR'S FOREIGN POLICY

Abstract

Qatar has only recently emerged as a player in the foreign policy arena. The first sign of what has become a highly distinctive role was the establishment of Al Jazeera, which has changed for ever the way that news media are seen across the Arab world. Qatar then successfully mediated in several conflicts in the region, before playing an active role in the aftermath of the Arab Spring and taking a lead on Libya. Syria poses more of a problem. But Qatar, as a small, rich country in an unpredictable region, now enjoys a high level of global recognition as an independent state.