Description
Qatar got its independence in 1971 from the United Kingdom. The country did not have a strong development record. Infused with the windfall from the sale of oil , Qatar wanted to chart a modernization phase that allows it to be on par with other gulf states. The UK had a strong influence on Qatar’s development in political , military ,and economic spheres since it was the country that provided protection to Qatar before the independence. Relying on newly declassified documents from the British Archive, the paper aims through historical analysis to explain Qatar’s evolving partnership with the UK. The research question that guides the paper is how did Qatar relations develop following Qatar’s independence? and what were the main issues that guided the relationship through 1971 to 1980? The research will shed a light on small states foreign policies dealing with major powers specifically newly independent states dealing with their former colonizers. It will also shed a light on how small states internal needs guide their interactions with other states.
