Qatar’s role in the security of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries after 2017

Abstract

Qatar presents an impressive case by demonstrating its role as a small country with a major role in international relations theories and practices. This paper examines Qatar’s role as a small state, in particular its quest for a high security position in international relations. It also illustrates the security role of the State of Qatar in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, especially after the emergence of a conflict between Qatar and the rest of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, especially (Saudi Arabia, the Emirates, Bahrain…) in 2017.In the international relations literature, small states rarely feature prominently in diplomatic relations due to their alleged lack of global power and importance. But Qatar, by virtue of its strategic geographical location and its great economic power that depends on oil and natural gas, has been able to play a prominent role in regional security and stability, and has made its region in the calculations of the major countries. This paper also argues that the Qatari leadership’s refusal to remain in the shadows of its allies or rivals within the Gulf Cooperation Council has given it a single and influential position in foreign policy within the Middle East and beyond. Finally, this paper analyzes the important role that Qatar plays in terms of security and destabilization in the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council.