John and the Qatar Government

According to John (a friend I met in London, England many years ago) and to the Qatar government, two factors shaped the integration of the Qatar government into our international system.

The first factor evolves around the problems and constraints (*) of a small state while the second factor evolves around Qatar's response such as a strategy of branding the state for survival.

Part of an article I recently read discusses Qatar's situation as a micro-state and analyses the nature and success of such a state. An article signed by Dr J.E. Peterson, the John of the first paragraph.

(*) A problem is an issue one can resolve while a constraint is an issue one cannot resolve.

The Ottawa Embassy in Qatar - H.E. Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohammed Bin Saud-Al-Thani and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

Qatar Government

The Qatar government has a rather short history as an independent state but, the extent of change and development it has undergone in the past few years is truly remarkable.

Qatar has, over the past years, emerged as one of the better known and highly regarded Gulf state. In part because of its immense natural gas reserves (the third largest total in the world) but also, and more importantly, because of many policy initiatives.

Flag of Qatar - Photo J.E. Peterson

These policies seem to have been deliberately designed to put Qatar "on the map" as the saying goes. Qatar has many accomplishments of which to be proud. It has, for instance, maintained its sovereignty since its independence in 1971 and has created many memberships in many international organisations.

Qatar Opportunities

Economic Qatar is a founding member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and has participated fully in GCC economic endeavours, especially in security concerns, including combat during the 1991 Gulf War.

Qatar enjoys an increasing name recognition in widening circles in the West, in Canada and in the United States mostly because of its long history of oil production and of rapidly expanding natural gas projects.

Women's rights in Qatar are restricted by the country's male guardianship law - currently the only remaining country in the Gulf region with such laws - and influenced by the Wahhabi interpretation of Islam.

Then again, both women and men were enfranchised (give the right to vote) in the country at the same time.

The Embassy of the State of Qatar in Ottawa , Canada where His Excellency Dr. Khalid Bin Rashid Al-Mansouri met The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, minister of International Development of Canada

However, both women and men were enfranchised (give the right to vote) in the country at the same time.

But there are many other reasons as well. Qatar sports have become a venue on the international sporting circuit, and it has hosted an impressive number of major conferences.

In addition, it agreed to play host to the United States’ Central Command regional headquarters before and during the 2003 Iraq War and thus received prominent mention in worldwide reporting.

Doha News - Embassy of Canada in Qatar

According to Dr John E Peterson

Even before then, Al Jazeera satellite television, which is based in Doha, had won a huge audience in the Arab world for its hard-hitting reporting and provocative programming.

Despite charges by some in the Bush Administration that Al Jazeera is too closely tied to al-Qa‘ida, The JEP Qatar government ties to the United States and to Canada have continued to expand. Furthermore in 2005, the emirate announced a contribution of $100 million for Hurricane Katrina relief.

Qatar Tribune - The Embassy of Canada in Qatar Opens to Public

There are two factors that have shaped Qatar’s integration and place in the international system. The first encompasses the constraints and problems of small states, while the second is Qatar’s response to these constraints — a strategy of branding the state for survival.

The following article - Qatar and the World discusses Qatar’s situation as a micro-state and analyses the nature and success of its response.

You may also wish to consult the Explore Country Info on Qatar provided by EDC - Export Development Canada. Qatar being a source of significant foreign direct Canadian investment potential.