DOHA: Qatar’s powers are sustainable despite all limitations — diplomatic, political, infrastructural and demographic — argues Qatar: Small State, Big Politics, a book released here yesterday.
“Infrastructure and international investments are not temporary, and all of these will over time enable Qatar to enhance its power regionally and internationally,” said Dr Mehran Kamrava, the author.
Dr Kamrava is also the Director of the Center for International Regional Studies at Georgetown University Qatar.
The book was launched on the university’s Education City campus.
It is a critical and timely account of contemporary Qatari politics and society that challenges the understanding of the role of small states in the global system.
“Qatar is very important diplomatically and politically but very few people know about it and often times there has been this assumption there are lot of misconceptions about Qatar.
“So I wrote this book analysing Qatar’s power, its politics, its diplomacy and kind of giving accurate picture of the country,” said Dr Kamrava.
“People don’t realise the importance of Qatar’s power. Misconceptions are there because Qatar is a small country. In that sense the book is an attempt to better introduce Qatar and its very complex domestic and foreign policies,” he added.
In his book, Dr Kamrava presents Qatar as an emerging international actor forging a modern path for its society.
He also explains what he refers to as “subtle power”, which arises from “careful and strategic use of international investments, financial influence and diplomacy.”
Following a critical analysis of the history and factors in Qatar’s ascendancy as a major regional force, Dr Kamrava, an established authority on the Gulf, looks into the future to assess the trajectory of its domestic and international projects, and issues and challenges Qatar may face in its single-minded vision for development.
“The real challenge for Qatar is to carry on business as usual in the post-oil era, until then the country can move steady,” said Dr Kamrava.
The Peninsula
