Gulf to Global

Description

This timely monograph chronicles how Qatar transformed itself into a broker of peace in some of the world’s most intractable conflicts. In the early 2000s, Qatar made its mark by mediating an array of disputes in the Middle East. By the 2020s, it was again on the global radar for its role in high-profile ceasefires and landmark peace agreements, notably the U.S.–Taliban deal and negotiations during the 2023–5 Gaza war.

Milton and Elkahlout offer a wide-ranging conceptual and on-the-ground analysis of Qatar’s emergence, retreat and reemergence in the international arena, tracing its evolving mediation strategies in conflicts across Lebanon, Darfur, Afghanistan and the Gaza Strip. Drawing on a unique qualitative dataset assembled through a major documentation project, the study illuminates how Qatar leveraged its diplomatic, political and economic resources to position itself as an influential third-party mediator. In doing so, it reveals both the motivations behind Qatar’s peacemaking initiatives and the broader implications of its rising profile for the changing global landscape of conflict mediation.

Reviews

‘A book of enormous value to scholars and policymakers alike as the first in-depth examination of the evolution and growth of Qatari mediation, based on a wide array of primary and secondary materials and deep familiarity with the policy landscape in Doha.’ — Kristian Coates-Ulrichsen, Fellow for the Middle East, Baker Institute for Public Policy, Rice University; author of Kingdom of Football, Qatar and the Gulf Crisis and Centers of Power in the Arab Gulf States

‘This book is a must read in an era of information wars in which Qatar’s key role in mediating conflict in Gaza and elsewhere is a politicised matter of controversy. Based on primary documents and sources, Milton and Elkahlout separate fact from fiction, allowing readers to form an informed opinion of their own.’ — James M. Dorsey, Senior Fellow, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies Nanyang Technological University; author of China and the Middle East: Venturing into the Maelstrom and The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer

‘Milton and Elkahlout have produced a book of tremendous value that is balanced, thoroughly researched, and offers a rare glimpse of the inner workings of Qatar’s mediation efforts. By exploring one of the most obvious but least understood aspects of Qatari foreign policy, the authors offer original insights on Qatar, the international relations of the Middle East, and the broader study of mediation. Highly recommended.’ — Mehran Kamrava, author of Qatar: Small State, Big Politics

Author(s)

Sansom Milton is Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies, Qatar. His research on conflict mediation, post-conflict recovery and peacebuilding has been published in leading international journals.

Ghassan Elkahlout is Director of the Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies, Qatar; and Associate Professor at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies. His academic expertise spans humanitarian policy, early recovery and post-war reconstruction.