Columns

On Geopolitics

United States

Qatar

Saudi Arabia

United Arab Emirates

Europe

Journalists surround one of the lawyers (front) representing former European Parliament Vice-President Eva Kaili, who has been charged in a corruption investigation involving Qatar, at a courthouse in Brussels, Belgium on Dec. 22, 2022.

Politics

The recent ''Qatargate'' scandal involving EU lawmakers reflects a pattern of statecraft that increasingly risks backfiring on Arab Gulf states, as their strategic value to the U.S. and Europe wanes.

Understanding Arab Gulf States' Influence Campaigns in the West

Media

Podcasts

The recent Qatar-Europe influence scandal has a long history and implements common practices.

Essential Geopolitics: The Influence-Peddling Saga of Qatar and Europe

A construction site of a stadium being built for the 2022 World Cup is seen on March 30, 2019, in Doha, Qatar. 

Economics

The high sunk cost of this year's games in Doha is fueling questions about the long-term economic sustainability of such massive infrastructure projects in the Arab Gulf.

Will the World Cup Be the Grand Finale of Qatar's Megaprojects Era?

Assessments

Iraq

Israel

Kuwait

Oman

Iranian-made satellite carriers (left) and missiles (right) are displayed in front of the Holy Defense Museum in Tehran, Iran, on Sept. 20, 2020.

Military & Security

The integrated air and missile defense system laid out in the proposed DEFEND Act could entice Saudi Arabia to deepen normalization with Israel.

U.S. Lawmakers Unveil a Plan to Shield Middle East Allies From Iranian Aggression

U.S.-Iran Relations

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken (left) and Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammad bin Abdulrahman Al Thani hold a joint press conference on the Afghanistan crisis in the Qatari capital of Doha on Sept. 7, 2021. 

The U.S. and the Balance of Power

Rebalancing Power in the Middle East

By enhancing its ties with the world’s largest military, Doha’s recognition as a major U.S. partner will help shield it from Saudi or Emirati pressure. 

What to Make of Qatar’s Designation as a U.S. Non-NATO Ally

Security

The emblem for the 2022 World Cup games is displayed on a museum building in Doha, Qatar, on Sept. 3, 2019.

With its physical security now less guaranteed than nearby Qatar's, the UAE will enact more social liberalization policies to remain a top destination for travel and investment. 

Houthi Attacks in the UAE Will Boost Qatar’s Business Appeal

The Yemen Civil War

Guidance

China

France

Ukraine

Russia

Iran

Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) greets Chinese President Xi Jinping in November 2019 in Brasilia, Brazil. Putin will meet Xi in Beijing during Putin's trip to attend the Feb. 4 opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics, where he will update Xi on the current state of talks regarding Russia's demands for security guarantees from the West. 

The Fight for Russia’s Borderlands

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended Stratfor articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: Putin and Xi Meet Amid Ukraine Tensions, OPEC+ Holds Steady

U.S.-China Relations

Journalists watch Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (center right) welcome Qatar’s Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani (center left) on a screen ahead of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit in the Saudi city of al-Ula on Jan. 5, 2021. 

Developments like a more aggressive Iran or a resurgence of the Muslim Brotherhood could still see Riyadh retake an aggressive stance against Doha.

The Threats to Saudi Arabia and Qatar’s Post-Blockade Detente

The Saudi Survival Strategy

Vietnam

Germany

Turkey

Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) shakes hands with U.S. President Joe Biden on June 16, 2021, at a summit at the Villa La Grange, in Geneva. U.S. President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin will likely participate in a video call early next week amid rising tensions in eastern Ukraine.

Environment, Science & Technology

The Weekly Rundown: Biden and Putin Hold a Video Conference, Germany Has a New Chancellor

COVID-19

Members of Kuwait’s stateless Bidoon community protest to demand citizenship and other rights in Jahra, northwest of Kuwait City, in December 2011. 

Broken Contracts in the Middle East

Compared with Qatar and the UAE, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia will be much slower to naturalize the descendants of desert nomads living within their borders.

What Greater GCC Citizenship Means for the Arab Gulf’s Stateless Residents

Sudan

Egypt

Sudan's military chief, General Abdel-Fattah Burhan, speaks during a press conference in Khartoum on Oct. 26, 2021. 

East African Integration

The Suitors of Sub-Saharan Africa

Arab Gulf states’ close ties with the military will impede EU and U.S. efforts to put Sudan’s democratic transition back on track.

Competing International Interests Will Complicate Sudan’s Post-Coup Crisis

Snapshots

A man casts his ballot in Qatar’s first-ever legislative vote at a polling station in Doha on Oct. 2, 2021. 

The high voter turnout in the historic Shura Council election indicates Qataris’ growing appetite for political involvement as the country’s economy shifts.

What to Make of Qatar’s First-Ever Popular Vote

Social Issues

Saudi Arabia's Tourism Authority updated a FAQ (frequently asked question) on its website asking whether LGBTQ+ visitors are welcome to visit the country by replying, "Everyone is welcome to visit our country," Al-Monitor reported on May 1.

Saudi Arabia: Saudi Tourism to 'Welcome' LGBTQ+ Tourists 

Bahrain

Qatar and Bahrain will resume diplomatic ties after almost six years, The Bahrain News Agency and Qatar's Foreign Ministry said on April 13.

Qatar, Bahrain: Countries to Resume Diplomatic Ties, but Relationship Remains Fragile

Energy

China Petroleum and Chemical Corp. (Sinopec) will take a 5% stake in Qatar's North Field East liquified natural gas (LNG) project, Bloomberg reported on April 12.

Qatar, China: Sinopec Seals Stake in Qatar's North Field

Emirati President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan visited Qatar during the World Cup and met Qatar's ruler Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, AP reported Dec. 5.

Qatar, UAE: Emirati President Visits Doha in Sign of Stable Relations

Qatar's Minister of Energy Saad Sherida al-Kaabi warned that Europe will face a more significant energy crisis during the 2023-2024 winter when its natural gas storage is depleted if Russian natural gas exports do not resume, Reuters reported Oct. 18.

Qatar: Energy Minister Warns of Limited Ability to Divert LNG Exports to Europe Next Year

German utilities RWE and Uniper are reportedly close to securing long-term deals to buy liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Qatar's North Field Expansion project, Reuters reported Sept. 20.

Germany: German Utilities to Strike Long-Term LNG Deals With Qatar

Pakistan

Qatar's sovereign wealth fund will invest $3 billion in various sectors in Pakistan, possibly including its airports, seaports and power plants, Reuters reported Aug. 23.

Pakistan, Qatar: Doha's Sovereign Wealth Fund to Invest up to $3 Billion in Pakistan

Qatar's Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani will visit Cairo, Egypt, on June 25-26 and meet with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Reuters reported June 24.

Egypt, Qatar: Rapprochement Draws Near as Leaders Rebuild Ties

Afghanistan

Algeria

Antigua and Barbuda

Luxembourg

South Sudan

A view of the Register in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

Angola

Argentina

Armenia

Australia

Lithuania

Covering an area that spans the entire width of the continent beginning at the Sahara Desert and ending at the southernmost tip of South Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa is home to countless cultures, languages, religions, plants, animals and natural resources.

Barbados

Benin

Maldives

Malta

Belize

Botswana

Brunei Darussalam

India

North Macedonia

Tajikistan

Bhutan

Bolivia

Burkina Faso

Cambodia

The President palace in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

The administrative center of the Gakh region of Azerbaijan, located at the foot of the southern slope of the Greater Caucasus, on the river Kurhumchai.

Brazil

Burundi

Finland

Nepal

Cameroon

Canada

Georgia

Jordan

Mir Castle in the Minsk region of Belarus.

Cabo Verde

Chile

Federated States of Micronesia

Liechtenstein

Sri Lanka

Central African Republic

Colombia

Fiji

Latvia

Lebanon

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Chad

Costa Rica

Indonesia

Libya

Comoros

Cuba

Czech Republic

Japan

A horse grazes in front of Kara-Kul lake in the Chon-Ak-Suu valley, 300 kilometers southeast of Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan.

Morocco

Cote d'Ivoire

Denmark

Dominica

Kiribati

Moldova

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Dominican Republic

Laos

Palestinian Territories

Djibouti

Ecuador

Holy See (Vatican City)

Malaysia

El Salvador

Equatorial Guinea

Greece

Marshall Islands

Eritrea

Grenada

Mongolia

Qatar occupies the Qatar Peninsula, a thumb of land jutting into the middle of the Persian Gulf. It has one land border with Saudi Arabia, but shares waters with Bahrain, Iran and the United Arab Emirates. It has no surface rivers or lakes, and its water supply is buried beneath the sandy desert that is practically the country’s only topographical feature. It lacks forests and, prior to the modern era, could not develop an indigenous agricultural sector.    This makes the country uniquely dependent on the outside world for survival. Qatar possesses proven 885.3 trillion feet of natural gas reserves just beneath the waves of the Gulf in a field it shares with Iran, and it makes Qatar the third-largest holder of light natural gas in the world and the world’s largest exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG). Since it began exporting LNG, Qatar has become the richest country on Earth per capita. The exports pass through the strategic Strait of Hormuz or are sent through an undersea pipeline to the United Arab Emirates.     After Qatar ceased being a British protectorate in 1971, its royal family declined an offer to join the federation of the United Arab Emirates and chose to chart an independent course. Qatar joined the Gulf Cooperation Council, a regional bloc, in 1981, and although it was officially neutral in the Iran-Iraq War, Qatar joined the coalition to evict Iraq from Kuwait in 1991. In 1996, Qatar began hosting U.S. troops at its Al Udeid air base and opened the offices of the state-sponsored Al Jazeera media outlet. In 2010, it was awarded the rights to the 2022 World Cup.    Its geopolitical position makes Qatar uniquely reliant on open trade for prosperity and outside powers for security. It must have reliable trade routes to export its LNG, and it requires outside sponsors to prevent Saudi Arabia or Iran from gaining too much influence over it. For now, it relies on the United States to provide both. That alliance allows Qatar to maintain a precarious balance against geographically advantaged neighbors.

SITUATION REPORTS

Saudi Arabia: Saudi Tourism to 'Welcome' LGBTQ+ Tourists

Qatar, Bahrain: Countries to Resume Diplomatic Ties, but Relationship Remains Fragile

Qatar, China: Sinopec Seals Stake in Qatar's North Field

Qatar, UAE: Emirati President Visits Doha in Sign of Stable Relations

Qatar: Energy Minister Warns of Limited Ability to Divert LNG Exports to Europe Next Year

Germany: German Utilities to Strike Long-Term LNG Deals With Qatar

Pakistan, Qatar: Doha's Sovereign Wealth Fund to Invest up to $3 Billion in Pakistan

Egypt, Qatar: Rapprochement Draws Near as Leaders Rebuild Ties

Forecasts

ANALYSES

SECTIONS

Explore

Subscribe

Help & Support