Qatar 2013
Qatar has the highest standard of living in the world and has been raising its international profile, not without controversy
Qatar’s activist foreign policy as well as its enormous wealth has increasingly brought the country into the spotlight. Recently, however, its Qatar has experienced some serious foreign policy setbacks, particularly since the fall of the Muslim Brotherhood government in Egypt.
The new Emir, who acceded to the throne on the abdication of his father in summer 2013, looks likely to continue his father’s foreign policies, but perhaps in a more consensual manner.
The decision to host the 2020 World Cup in Qatar has also been highly controversial, not only because of the heat but also because of the terrible conditions in which the thousands of migrant workers needed to build the facilities for the tournament must work.