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The Persian Gulf state of Qatar has fewer than 2 million inhabitants, virtually no potable water, and has been an independent nation only since 1971. Yet its enormous oil and gas wealth has permitted the ruling al Thani family to exert a disproportionately large influence on regional and even international politics. Qatar is, as Mehran Kamrava explains in this knowledgeable and incisive account of the emirate, a "tiny giant" although severely lacking in most measures of state power, it is highly influential in diplomatic, cultural, and economic spheres.Kamrava presents Qatar as an experimental country, building a new society while exerting what he calls "subtle power." It is both the headquarters of the global media network Al Jazeera and the site of the U.S. Central Command's Forward Headquarters and the Combined Air Operations Center. Qatar has been a major player during the European financial crisis, it has become a showplace for renowned architects, several U.S. universities have established campuses there, and it will host the FIFA World Cup in 2022. Qatar's effective use of its subtle power, Kamrava argues, challenges how we understand the role of small states in the global system. Given the Gulf state's outsized influence on regional and international affairs, this book is a critical and timely account of contemporary Qatari politics and society.
Read Online Qatar Small State Big Politics Mehran Kamrava 9780801456770 Books
"This book is very well written, argued, and supported. Mehran Kamrava does a great job of dissecting what seem, at times, like completely random foreign and domestic policies of the small Gulf state."
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Tags : Qatar Small State, Big Politics [Mehran Kamrava] on . <P>The Persian Gulf state of Qatar has fewer than 2 million inhabitants, virtually no potable water, and has been an independent nation only since 1971. Yet its enormous oil and gas wealth has permitted the ruling al Thani family to exert a disproportionately large influence on regional and even international politics. Qatar is,Mehran Kamrava,Qatar Small State, Big Politics,Cornell University Press,0801456770,Diplomatic relations,Diplomatic relations.,Politics and government,Qatar,Qatar - Foreign relations,Qatar - Politics and government,Qatar;Foreign relations.,Qatar;Politics and government.,CONTEMPORARY ECONOMIC SITUATIONS AND CONDITIONS,CONTEMPORARY POLITICS - MIDDLE EAST,HISTORY / Middle East / Arabian Peninsula,HISTORY / Middle East / General,History / Africa and the Middle East,International Relations - General,International relations,Middle East - General,Middle East Studies,Middle East/North Africa,Non-Fiction,POLITICAL SCIENCE / International Relations / General,POLITICAL SCIENCE / World / Middle Eastern,Political Science,Political Science / Africa and the Middle East,Political Science / International Relations,Political Science/International Relations - General,Political Science/World - Middle Eastern,Politics / Current Events,Politics/International Relations,Politics/Intl Relations,Qatar,Qatar - Foreign relations,Qatar - Politics and government,Qatar;Foreign relations.,Qatar;Politics and government.,Scholarly/Undergraduate,UNIVERSITY PRESS,United States,World - Middle Eastern,HISTORY / Middle East / Arabian Peninsula,HISTORY / Middle East / General,International Relations - General,Middle East - General,POLITICAL SCIENCE / International Relations / General,POLITICAL SCIENCE / World / Middle Eastern,Political Science/International Relations - General,Political Science/World - Middle Eastern,World - Middle Eastern,Politics / Current Events,Contemporary Economic Situations And Conditions,Contemporary Politics - Middle East,Political Science,Politics/International Relations,International relations
Qatar Small State Big Politics Mehran Kamrava 9780801456770 Books Reviews :
Qatar Small State Big Politics Mehran Kamrava 9780801456770 Books Reviews
- Originally looking for a travel guide, I bought this book a few weeks before I took off to Doha, Qatar. A travel guide it was – even though in a much different way than I had expected. This book has led me to discover one of the most fascinating places I’ve ever been to. Not only that I enjoyed walking the palm tree boulevards facing the stunning skyline of highrise buildings gleaming in the sun, the Museum of Islamic Art, or the historic downtown of Souq Waqif – this book helped me to see what is underlying a society led by a royal autocracy that has the vision, the determination, and the means to be one of the most influential countries in the Middle East and on the world stage.
The more I read, the more I got intrigued by what seems to be a massive genius masterplan being rolled out, securing rapid economic development, high modernism, regime/state survival, and power and influence projection. When you drive the busy roads of Doha, glancing at the gigantic construction sites, it is important to remember this is just a tiny fraction of the massive force that this country is directing in multiple areas of trade, investment, security, culture, and international diplomacy. Its ambition has led Qatar to be outstanding in many fields, e.g.
- Declared cultural capital of the Arab world
- The world’s largest exporter of liquified natural gas
- The world’s wealthiest nation per capita
- Home of global leaders in media (Al-Jazeera), education (world-class universities), aviation (Qatar Airways)
- The Gulf’s first country to ever host a Football World Cup
Besides of discussing these very visible achievements, the book uncovers Qatar’s hidden yet extremely influential role in international relations. Protected by one of the largest US airbases, Qatar is involved in what the author calls “hyper-active diplomacy†following a strategy of hedging to build stable working relationships with countries such as Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arabic Emirates, the Palestinians, Israel, and France. It may be hard to overemphasize the importance of this chapter, especially after the USA recently opted out of the Iran Nuclear Deal. Qatar may well play a key role in trying to solve this crisis, being both a close ally of the United States and a neighbor of Iran with which it shares its gas field.
In summary, I strongly recommend this book to anyone who is truly interested in understanding Qatar, its culture, and international relations of the Middle East. Nobody else but Mehran Kamrava may be the best person to tell this story he is the Director of the Qatar Center for International and Regional Studies at Georgetown University, one of the world’s leading universities in International Relations. What’s more, Kamrava has researched and lived in Qatar for many years, allowing him to make very vivid descriptions, speaking from his own view. Theory, data, and evidence are presented to make his points while still written in a way that I find easy to read. Kamrava provides clear judgment, not shying away from criticism. I even found myself smiling about occasional humor between the lines. Thank you, Professor, for an entertaining yet extremely insightful read!
If you are reading this book, the following might help you to enhance your experience
1. On YouTube, watch “Mehran Kamrava Small State, Big Politics†to get a first introduction to the book
2. If you have little time, I recommend first reading the chapters ‘Introduction’, ‘Preface’, ‘Setting the Stage’, ‘Qatar’s Moment in History’
3. Travel to Doha and hit the roads
Hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I did! - This book is very well written, argued, and supported. Mehran Kamrava does a great job of dissecting what seem, at times, like completely random foreign and domestic policies of the small Gulf state.
- Excellent transaction and book.
- Excellent book. Delivered in good time.
- great
- A+++
