The Hill News

From its independence in 1971 until 1995 Qatar lived in the shadows of its larger neighbors. This tiny peninsula in the energy-rich Persian Gulf with an indigenous population of 225,000 was in many respects an afterthought when it came to the major issues of the day such as Iraq’s invasion of its neighbors, Iran’s export of its revolutionary doctrine, the rise of al-Qaeda and the festering Arab-Israeli conflict.

In 1995 Qatar’s fortunes changed and with it a new burst of energy hit full throttle. Qatar is now still the tiny peninsula but it punches far above its waist. Since succeeding his father in a blood-less coup, the Amir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani has started an unprecedented reformation of Qatar and by extension the entire region. Today Qatar is playing a new, dynamic and game-changing role both within the Middle East and beyond.

While tangible evidence of this unprecedented rise to power are achieving the highest per ! capita GDP in the world at $98,000, hosting the 2022 World Cup or advertisements in the Washington Metro to fly the world’s only six star airline Qatar Airways, Qatar’s ascent has been grounded in Sheikh Hamad’s forward-looking statecraft.

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