The foreign policy of Qatar: From a mediating role to an active one (Essay Sample)

Human Resources Management (HRM) The foreign policy of Qatar: From a mediating role to an active one Student Name Institutional Affiliations Instructor Date 1 -Introduction The article "The foreign policy of Qatar: From a mediating role to an active one" by Álvarez-Ossorio & Rodríguez (2021) is a great exploration of the transformation of Qatar’s foreign policy from the role of a mediator-integrator to a more independent and active role. The authors delve into how the foreign policy process of making decisions affects the conduct of the state global system and the way they respond to external threats. The focus of the study is on the internal factors which shape Qatar’s foreign policy inclusive of elite threat perceptions and the institutional capacity towards mobilization of power. The topic of the foreign policy of Qatar is very significant since despite the small size and small population, Qatar has made strides in achieving very considerable regional projection within recent decades. Qatar has transformed from a practical vassal country of Saudi Arabia to one of the most influential states of the region. Coming to terms with why such a shift in foreign policy happened is very important towards understanding the role of Qatar in the Gulf and Middle East (Kuchkorov, 2022). The key purpose of this paper is to analyze the factors which brought about the transformation of Qatar’s policy from a foreign perspective and to explore how such changes affected the relations of the country with other powers in the region and particularly Saudi Arabia and the UAE (Álvarez-Ossorio & Rodríguez García, 2021). The authors of the article give hypothesis that the Arab Spring had a very crucial role in facilitating Qatar and other monarchies in the Gulf towards their restructuring of their foreign policies. In order to achieve this purpose, the authors have employed a qualitative analytical approach examining the historical Qatar’s trajectory in foreign policy as well as its response to different regional and global events. 2-Main body (analysis) Analyzing Specific Ideas In "The foreign policy of Qatar: From a mediating role to an active one," the authors have explored the transformation of Qatar’s foreign policy in recent years. Regardless of its smallness in terms of population and size, Qatar has demonstrated very commendable resilience and adaptability in its foreign policy strategies towards addressing various threats within the region. For instance, the approach of Qatar towards maintaining the stability of the Gulf Region which calls for a careful delicate balance of issues between two main regional powers, Iran and Saudi Arabia. With consistency, Qatar has been in pursuit of a policy of hedging its bets and playing a delicate act of balancing so as to safeguard its own interests and ensure that there is life and survival in a region of chronic susceptibility and vulnerability. Such adaptability is also seen in the response of Qatar to external threats including the Arab Spring which has prompted a restructuring of the country’s foreign policy. Qatar shifted from a mediator-integrator role towards a more independent and active role with gradual incorporation of tools of hard power so as to replace its past reliance on soft power strategies. Such a strategic shift has not just allowed Qatar to assert its regional and global influence but it has also drawn-out certain tensions with the UAE and the Saudi Arabia leading to the 2017 imposition of blockade. These examples are apparent that the small size of Qatar has not hindered the country’s ability to learn, develop and adopt new strategies to navigate the complex geopolitical landscape within the region (Rozman, 2021). A very important idea that stands out in the paper is Qatar’s shift from its previous role of a mediator to that of being more active and independent player within the global arena. The authors argue that such a change was actually a prompting of the Arab Spring which played a role in forcing the Gulf monarchies and Qatar towards restructuring their foreign policies. This change was evidenced inn the Qatar’s adoption of more tools of hard power such as strategic investments and military security which brought a replacement on the previous emphasis on soft power through diplomacy and mediation (Alqashouti, 2021). This is supported by the Qatar’s establishment of the Al Jazeera Satellite TV channel. According to the authors, Al Jazeera has taken a central stage in thrusting Qatar’s soft power strategy which has increased the popularity of the country and political influence. The paper also highlights that Qatar’s foreign policy has evolved past soft power in recent years with a change towards more active and very independent actions (Kuchkorov, 2022). This is also reinforced by the many investments Qatar has made overseas inclusive of strategic control ventures which have allowed Qatar to exert influence beyond its borders while gaining projection in the region. Again, the authors are congruent about the relationship between Qatar and Saudi Arabia with highlights of the turmoil which have arose between the two states. Qatar’s support for the Muslim Brotherhood and its independent foreign policy have created a strain in how it relates with Saudi Arabia. The tension led to the imposition of the blockade of 2017 by UAE and Saudi Arabia illustrating the consequences of Qatar’s shift in foreign policy and the arising challenges. How the concepts theoris relate to my personal experiences or observations and course materials The ideas and concepts in the paper regarding Qatar’s foreign policy resonate well with my personal experiences and observations and they also complement the class materials. One idea that stood out for me is the utilization of soft power and its role in shaping foreign policy. Qatar has invested in Al Jazeera as a way of enhancing its soft power and increasing its international influence as a very prime example of this concept. This reminded me of our materials in the course which discussed how countries apply the use of media concepts in shaping certain perceptions, public opinions and perceptions and how they project their interests and values on a global scale (Álvarez-Ossorio & Rodríguez García, 2021). Looking into the Success of Qatar by using Al Jazeera for achieving such objectives helps even to reinforce the significance and the effectiveness of soft power in foreign policy decisions. Again, the role which regional dynamics play in regard to shaping foreign policy decisions has a powerful resonation with my own observations and the course discussions. It is very clear that Qatar’s response regarding the Arab Spring as well as the reconfiguration of the country’s foreign policy are attributive to the regional struggles of power as well as the necessity of adapting to evolving dynamics (Rozman, 2021). This is a highlight of the interconnectedness of foreign policy and regional politics which have been well studied in our course. Coming to an understanding of how regional dynamics influence the choices in foreign policy is important in analyzing and comprehending the actions of states in the global system. Again, the article offers powerful insights on the concept of strategic partnerships and alliances in the foreign policy of Qatar (Álvarez-Ossorio & Rodríguez García, 2021). It underscores the relationship between the U.S and Qatar and so particularly via their collaboration at the Al Udeid air base which corresponds with our course discussions about alliances and their impact in shaping decisions of foreign policy. It is quite interesting to note the significant impact of partnerships and alliances on the actions and impact on the actions and outcomes of a certain nation in the global arena (Alqashouti, 2021). Strong and weak points: One strength which this paper has is its comprehensive analysis of the foreign policy of Qatar’s transformation offering historical context and examining the primary factors which have influenced the shift and exploring the repercussions for the country’s relations with the regional pow...