Qatar and Omnibalancing Escaping the Saudi Regional Hegemony

Abstract

Taking as its backdrop the severing of diplomatic ties and the imposition of economic sanctions on Qatar by Saudi Arabia and its Gulf allies in June 2017, this thesis examines the sources of the turbulent relationship between Qatar and its larger neighbor: Saudi Arabia. The thesis analyzes this critical relationship from the perspective of Qatar. Its aim is to explain why Qatar has historically pushed back against toeing the Saudi foreign policy line; and why it has largely succeeded in achieving this feat. The thesis interrogates Qatari contemporary history and its external relations in order to discern the factors that encouraged, and enabled, Qatar to pursue a policy of balancing against – rather than bandwagoning with – Saudi Arabia. The thesis draws on the theoretical framework provided by the International Relations theory of omnibalancing. It argues that Qatar’s historic alliance with the United States and its close relationship to Iran (at least in comparison to the other Gulf States) were driven by a Qatari quest to deter any possible Saudi military intervention and (more broadly) to escape Saudi regional hegemony. A brief comparison between Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar regarding their stances towards Saudi Arabia shows that Bahrain bandwagoned with Saudi Arabia due to regime security calculations. Kuwait and Oman maintained more independent foreign policy stances, but without defying Saudi Arabia. Qatar was the only Gulf state to challenge Saudi regional hegemony. The thesis argues that the political, economic, and military ties that Qatar established with regional (Iran) and international actors– as well as its oil wealth and reliance on “soft power” – supported its quest to balance against Saudi regional hegemony.