A tiny state with big influence
The writer is a senior foreign affairs correspondent at The Express Tribune
When Israel and Hamas struck a deal for humanitarian pause in Gaza, it was not surprising that the country that helped broker a temporary truce was none other than Qatar. There are several players that have a say in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, yet Qatar has outshined everyone.
It was not the first time Qatar was at the centre of peace efforts. The tiny Gulf State, surrounded by its big Arab brothers, has been instrumental in brokering deals in other conflicts. Its role as peace maker started emerging at the turn of the 21st century. In 2008, it helped broker a deal between rivals in Lebanon paving the way for presidential elections. From 2008 to 2010, it mediated peace talks between Yemeni government and Houthi rebels. In 2011, Qatar also tried to mend fences between Palestinian Authority, which ruled the West Bank, and Hamas that was in control of Gaza. It had also been mediating a peace deal in Sudan. When the Trump administration was preparing to withdraw from Afghanistan, Qatar was at the thick of things. It allowed the Afghan Taliban to establish their political office in Doha, a window for the outside world, particularly the NATO member countries, to negotiate a peace deal. It is remarkable that Qatar often hosts people and groups deemed by some as terrorists. The current Hamas leadership has been in Qatar for over a decade. Afghan Taliban remained their guests for many years. Yet, at the same time, the US has the largest military base in Qatar. Unlike other Arab States, Qatar always maintains contacts with Iran even during the time of crisis.
So, what’s the secret behind Qatar’s global influence, something that countries bigger in size and resources couldn’t achieve? There is no doubt that Qatar is one of the richest countries in the world thanks to abundance of natural gas. Till 90s Qatar was a poor country although the first discovery of gas was made in early 70s. However, at the time there was no technology to transfer natural gas through ships. The only viable option was to transport it via pipeline. The neighbouring Arab countries had no demand for natural gas, and it was impossible to lay pipeline connecting Qatar with Europe. It was only in mid-90s when Qatar started seeing change. It invested in research and development to find a way out to transport gas via ships. Finally, it found a formula. Today, Qatar is the largest exporter of LNG, with exports worth over $100 billion annually. For a country the size of just one big city of Pakistan and with population less than 3 million, it always has an advantage. Out of roughly 3 million habitants, local Qataris are just close to three hundred thousand.
But having natural resources and earning billions alone cannot win you influence. Had that been the case, other Arab countries would have enjoyed more influence. Today, no country invests more in education, science and technology and human capital than Qatar. Name any top university of the world, Qatar has its campus. It spends billions on research and on science and technology. The future of fossil fuel is not bright. The Qatari leadership is aware of this reality. Therefore, it is diversifying its options. The revenue it generates from LNG is being invested in other sectors. Qatar has sovereign wealth fund with total capital over $350 billion. It has investment in many parts of the world.
Qatar has, meanwhile, faced tough situations. The 2017-2021 blockade by their Arab neighbours was a real test for Qatar. But the tiny state converted that crisis into an opportunity. For example, before the blockade, Qatar had to rely on Saudi Arabia for food, particularly dairy and milk. But Qatar imported livestock through cargo planes overnight from the US. It set up dairy farms in record time to offset the negative impact of blockade. Today, the dairy company set up to meet local demands is exporting its products. The blockade was lifted in 2021 as Gulf countries failed to yield the desires results. Qatar is an example on how to thrive in adversity and make good use of resources the nature has bestowed.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 18th, 2023.
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