Small in size but big in stature, the Gulf kingdom’s influence is raising serious concerns.

By Allan Wolman

The State of Qatar is a sovereign and independent monarchy, ruled by the Al Thani family, headed by Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, with a population of almost 3 million people of which an estimated 88% are expatriates, meaning that less than 400,000 are actual Qatari nationals. Situated on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula, Qatar has one of the highest per capita incomes in the world, due to its vast reserves of natural gas and oil.

Despite its small size, it wields a disproportionate influence in world affairs, leveraging its wealth, strategic location, and diplomatic efforts to play a prominent role on the global stage. Through its enormous wealth, Qatar invests heavily abroad, in real estate, sports, media, and education, extending its influence way beyond its size and population. Al Jazeera, the state-funded news network, is one of the most influential media outlets in the Arab world and beyond, and plays a significant role in shaping public opinion to align with the Gulf kingdom’s worldview.

CHEQUEBOOK DIPLOMACY

Positioning itself as a ‘neutral mediator’ on international conflicts, Qatar has mediated several high-profile conflicts – notably Afghanistan, Sudan and Lebanon – that have brought it unparalleled attention. Driving a foreign policy that is independent albeit controversial, Qatar has maintained an important relationship with the United States (which has a significant military base in the Gulf state), while also cosying up to regional powers like Iran and Turkey. It may be worth noting that whilst acting as an ‘honest broker’ in talks between Hamas and Israel, Qatar hosts and finances Hamas, which must surely raise questions about the nation’s broader strategic goals and alignment, especially given the controversial nature of supporting a recognized terrorist group.

SPOILSPORT

Qatar’s investment in sport seems out of all proportion to its small size and population, which raises some serious questions after its hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, with its investment in the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) football club and a reported $4 billion investment in Monumental Sports & Entertainment. The Gulf country is synonymous with “Sportswashing”, a new millennium term that best describes the camouflage practice of countries or their governments using sports to improve their public image tarnished by wrongdoing and in Qatar’s case, distracting from negative aspects of their abysmal human rights record. A prime example of Qatar’s sportswashing, was its controversial win to host the FIFA 2022 World Cup. This small, wealthy emirate on the Persian Gulf became the first Arab country to be awarded a summer soccer tournament in a country where daytime temperatures in those months often exceed 120 degrees. Is it any wonder it drew fierce criticism and deep suspicion and was seen by many as a way to provide a veneer to cover up disturbing hidden truth of the country’s maltreatment of its migrant workers, its restrictive laws on freedom of expression, and issues related to LGBTQ+. Included in its potent advocacy arsenal is its national airline, Qatar Airways which engages in numerous global high-profile sports sponsorships thus diverting the focus on its controversial policies. It would come as no surprize if a Qatar bid for the Olympics is not on the horizon in the near future.

COLLEGE CHAOS

Recent events on college campuses have underlined Qatari financing of several elite U.S. and other Western universities through its educational ‘initiatives’, particularly through the establishment of Education City in Doha, which hosts branch campuses of prestigious universities from around the world, primarily from the United States. 

However, Qatar’s financial contributions to U.S. colleges must raise questions about its potential influence on political thought given the turmoil witnessed at major universities that receive Qatar funding. Following recent publication of reports on antisemitism in the US, critics have argued that Qatar’s financial entanglement in US higher education has strengthened antisemitism in colleges, demonstrably evidenced since the October 7 massacre in Israel. By lavishing billions on US higher education that includes the  funding of endowment chairs, research centres, and specific programs that steer academic focus aligned with the interests of Qatar, the Gulf kingdom is fueling anti-Israel and anti-Jewish trends.

Now with Qatar’s ties to US universities being  increasingly scrutinized amid the rise in antisemitism, one does not have too much difficulty of where to look.

As the saying goes “money talks” so follow the money!

About the writer:

Allan Wolman in 1967 joined 1200 young South Africans to volunteer to work on agricultural settlements in Israel during the Six Day War. After spending a year in Israel, he returned to South Africa where he met and married Jocelyn Lipschitz and would run  one of the oldest travel agencies in Johannesburg – Rosebank Travel. He would also literally ‘run’ three times in the “Comrades”, one of the most grueling marathons in the world as well as participate in the “Argus” (Cape Town’s famed international annual cycling race) an impressive eight times. Allan and Jocelyn immigrated to Israel in 2019.

While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves.  LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).