oa The Qatari role in the Arab spring revolutions and its impact on Qatar's image in the Arab world: A comparative study between media and NGO's roles

As the Arab Spring swept across much of the Middle East and North Africa, Qatar was already well established as a state with a reach and influence far exceeding its physical size. Its role in negotiations in Lebanon, Darfur, and between Ethiopia & Eritrea, had established Qatar's pedigree as a neutral, well-resourced, and dedicated mediator. Though it was not always successful—such as in Yemen where various ceasefires broke down—Qatar had an effective combination: a non-threatening posture, lack of real political interests in the countries in question, significant financial inducements, and nimble rapid responses in the face of crisis thanks to a lack of bureaucratic impediments. We record multiple forms of support for the Arab spring, such as the clear role of the media (Al Jazeera- Al Jazeera Egypt- Free Libya channel), military support, NGO's aid and a diplomatic role. Research question: What is the Qatari role in Arab spring revolutions and its impact on Qatar image in the Arab world? Research importance: 1. Qatar is the only Arab state that has not faced increased agitation among citizens during a period of regional upheaval. 2. Qatar was leery of potentially weakening a fraternal Sunni monarchy, as any efforts to mediate or ease tensions would have profoundly fractured its relations with its key neighbor, Saudi Arabia. 3. Qatar support to the Arab Spring revolutions is in line with Qatari foreign policy. 4. In the wake of the Arab Spring, the U.S. has found Qatar to be an exceedingly useful ally. Its unique position as an ally for numerous Islamic actors has enabled it to play the critical role of interlocutor. Research Methodology: The research depended on both quantitative and qualitative techniques via descriptive exploratory methodology using survey and focus group discussions. The research depended on designing a well-structured questionnaire and meetings with 500 from Arabs (from Egypt, Syria, Libya, Tunisia and Yemen) plus the design of 10 focus group discussions (with male and females) to interpret the quantitative data. The study documented the Qatari role in the Arab Spring and its impact on forming the Qatari image for the Arab public.