Securitization: Conceptualizing Qatari Foreign Policy

Abstract

The role of security in Qatari foreign policy is one of the central discussions in the literature on the Gulf security. This thesis represents Qatari foreign policy strategies through lenses of the Copenhagen School for security studies, established by seminal publications of Barry Buzan, Ole Waever and Jaap de Wilde. The research highlights the question of how can the dynamics of Qatari foreign policy be evaluated within the context of Copenhagen School's security sectors in seven chapters. Five security sectors of the Copenhagen School; military, political, societal, economic and environmental examined regarding their role on the foreign policy of Qatar in a synthesized structure.

The thesis argues that Qatari foreign policy provides security strategies for each of these five security sectors; however, military, political and economic sectors are relatively more visible and dominant in foreign policy than societal and environmental sectors. Given that the role of security in Qatari foreign policy is a prominent issue, this thesis comprehensively approaches to Qatari policy making.