Dr. Allen Fromherz (Georgia State University, Atlanta)

Rather seeing oil as the main driver of Qatari policy and governance, this presentation focuses on the internal social dynamics of this small, increasingly influential, Gulf state. Although Qatari has a feisty international image, supporting the Muslim Brotherhood and financing, Al-Jazeera, the ruling section of the Al-Thani family also considers internal pressures of Qatari nationals in the context of extreme modernization and change. This presentation examines how internal social structures, not simply the whim of the ruler or the demands and distortions of the oil market, must be considered to understand Qatar's unique place in the Gulf and the World.