{"product_id":"9781849043250","title":"Qatar: Securing the Global Ambitions of a City-State","description":"\u003cbr\u003eRarely has a state changed its character so completely in so short a period of time. Previously content to play a role befitting its small size, Qatar was a traditional, risk-averse Gulf monarchy until the early 1990s.\u003cp\u003eA bloodless coup in 1995 brought to power an emerging elite with a progressive vision for the future. Financed by gas exports and protected by a US security umbrella, Qatar diversified its foreign relations to include Iran and Israel, established the satellite broadcaster Al Jazeera, assumed a leading role in international mediation, and hosted a number of top-level sporting tournaments, culminating in the successful FIFA World Cup 2022 bid.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eQatar's disparate, often misunderstood, policies coalesce to propagate a distinct brand. Whether to counter regional economic competitors or to further tie Qatar to the economies of the world's leading countries, this brand is de- signed innovatively to counter a range of security concerns; in short, Qatar is diversifying its dependencies.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eQatar's prominent role in the Arab Spring follows a similar pattern, yet the gamble it is taking in supporting Islamists and ousting dictators is potentially dangerous: not only is it at risk from 'blowback' in dealing with such actors, but a lack of transparency means that clichés and assumptions threaten to derail \"brand Qatar.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Hurst","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47063809261808,"sku":"9781849043250","price":45.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781849043250_p0.jpg?v=1763751775","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781849043250","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}