{"product_id":"qatar-book-david-b-roberts-9781849043250","title":"Qatar","description":"Rarely has a state changed its character so completely in so short a period of time. Previ- ously content to play a role befitting its small size, Qatar was a traditional, risk-averse Gulf monarchy until the early 1990s. A bloodless coup in 1995 brought to power an emerging elite with a progressive vision for the future. Financed by gas exports and protected by a US security umbrella, Qatar diversified its foreign relations to include Iran and Israel, established the satellite broadcaster Al Jazeera, assumed a leading role in international media- tion, and hosted a number of top-level sporting tournaments, culminating in the successful FIFA World Cup 2022 bid. Qatar's disparate, often misunderstood, policies coalesce to propagate a distinct brand. Whether to counter regional economic competitors or to further tie Qatar to the economies of the world's leading countries, this brand is de- signed innovatively to counter a range of security concerns; in short, Qatar is diversifying its dependencies.Qatar's prominent role in the Arab Spring follows a similar pattern, yet the gamble it is taking in supporting Islamists and ousting dictators is potentially dangerous: not only is it at risk from 'blowback' in dealing with such actors, but a lack of transparency means that cliches and assumptions threaten to derail 'brand Qatar'.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49736141013265,"sku":"NGR9781849043250","price":30.19,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50392829919505,"sku":"CIN1849043256G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50899906330897,"sku":"GOR014114563","price":25.9,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52629858189585,"sku":"NIN9781849043250","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":54222123893009,"sku":"GOR008762871","price":24.15,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1849043256.jpg?v=1786095727","url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/en-gb\/products\/qatar-book-david-b-roberts-9781849043250","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}