The rise of Qatar as a soft power and the challenges. (c2017)

Abstract

Qatar has risen to prominence as a soft-power nation state that have overcome a number of limitations in international relations. The prominence of the country relative to its size is of remarkable importance in the study of soft power and the outcomes of the campaigns aimed at acquiring influence without the use of the contemporary military-oriented strategies. In studying the rise of Qatar as a soft power and the challenges experienced by the country, this research aimed at investigating the process through Qatar achieved its soft power status. The study methodology, analytical eclecticism, is established around collection and analysis of qualitative and quantitative data from both primary and secondary sources. The analysis focused on identifying the continuous stream of evidence on the process through which the country has acquired soft power, and the challenges in the process. The analysis focused on six variables identified in the literature. The responses from 12 respondents are included in the study, with the analysis targeting identification of the key themes. The findings show that Qatar has implemented soft power campaigns across the six variables, which means that the country has targeted to exploit all the opportunities available. The country has diversified its soft power campaigns to exploit the advantages of relationships with countries that have hard power capabilities (the US and UK), in order to bank on their hard power in achieving Qatar’s soft power. The main challenge facing the country is the ability to appreciate the actual effects of the soft power campaigns, other than gaining regional and international prominence. This is why the country has faced significant challenges in solving the crisis due to sanctions from the Saudi-led Middle East countries. In order to avoid these challenges, it is recommended that Qatar should appreciate the relationship between power and IR, in order to ensure that its soft power campaigns do not have adverse effects on its soft power campaigns.