Description
In the wake of the Arab Spring, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar adopted distinct foreign policy roles that diverged from conventional expectations of small-state behavior. This article examines how these two Gulf states navigated the shifting regional order, strategically shaping their foreign policies in ways challenging existing theories of small-state behavior and simultaneously reshaping the political dynamics of the Gulf and broader Middle East. This article uses role theory as a lens to explore how states navigate the shifting regional order, strategically creating roles that allow them to exert disproportionate influence. Role theory, which frames foreign policy as a set of norms and behaviors that guide state actions, serves as a theoretical foundation for understanding how these states constructed new roles to project new position in regional order. Using a comparative interpretative narrative analysis of government documents and public statements from key leaders, this article investigates the factors driving their foreign policy decisions and the process of role-taking and role-change. The findings offer fresh insight into the role of Gulf states in international politics, highlighting how role theory can be applied to understand strategies small states use to navigate periods of regional instability and change.
