An Interview with Professor Mehran Kamrava, Director of the Center for International and Regional Studies (CIRS)

1 Apr 2014

This month, we talk to Professor Mehran Kamrava, who is the Director of the Center for International and Regional Studies (CIRS) at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Relations in Qatar. Prof. Kamrava begins the discussion by describing CIRS' ongoing attempts to examine the evolution and dynamics of urban space in the Persian Gulf region. He then identifies the three factors that have recently combined to make Qatar a "small giant," i.e., a country with disproportionally large influence relative to its size. Finally, Prof. Kamrava comments on recent diplomatic tensions within the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC), particularly between Saudi and Qatari leaders.

The external pageCenter for International and Regional Studies (CIRS) is part of the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar. Its mission includes to provide a forum for scholarship and research on international and regional affairs, to encourage in-depth examination and exchange of ideas, and to foster thoughtful dialogue among students, scholars and practitioners of international affairs.

What is noteworthy about the urbanization process occurring in the Gulf Region and what is the purpose of CIRS’ “external pageThe Evolution of Gulf Global Cities“ research initiative?

This research initiative will examine the dynamics of ‘urban configurations’ in the Persian Gulf region (the GCC, Yemen, Iraq and Iran) in order to understand ‘The City’ as a cultural and social space, as well as a space fraught with political and economic and political significance. By engaging with urban sociologists, social geographers, political scientists, city planners, and architects, this multi-disciplinary research project will link macro-level knowledge of urbanization and modernization projects in the Persian Gulf with the micro-level understanding of everyday living spaces and their ties to human interaction. Historically, cities on the shores of the Persian Gulf have risen, and some have fallen, with the ebb and flow or commerce and shifting political currents. Over the last two decades or so, we have seen some Persian Gulf cities become hubs for global commerce and interaction--as is the case with Doha, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi, while others--such as Bandar Abbas and Bandar Lengeh in Iran--have declined in economic and therefore political significance. Our ongoing research will examine the historic and contemporary significance of these and other emblematic cities across the Persian Gulf in the field of politics, economics, culture, and urban development.

Qatar is a small state and yet it has a disproportionately large influence in regional and even international politics. What are some of the factors that make Qatar a “tiny giant”?

I would cite three factors – 1) a comparatively large degree of social homogeneity and lack of social tensions and cleavages, 2) an inordinately large amount of resources and wealth compared to a very small national population base, and 3) visionary leaders, who since 1995 have worked to make Qatar a consequential player in regional and global politics. Although every one of these ingredients may be found in one or more other states in the Persian Gulf, no other one had all three traits. Therefore, for a country of its size and youth, Qatar stands out as a small state that engages in big politics.

Qatar made headlines recently as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain recalled their ambassadors from Doha. Can you give us some background on this diplomatic rift within the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC)?

The resource-rich Persian Gulf region has historically seen intense competition not only between global and larger powers, but also among the regional actors themselves. Saudi Arabia, for example, has not approved of Qatar’s foreign policy activism, growing levels of regional and global engagement, and growing influence across the Middle East. With 1) the ascension to power in 2013 of a young leader in Qatar, 2) the internal politics of the Saudi royal family currently in a state of flux, and 3) Riyadh’s relationship with Washington also under stress, the Saudi leadership decided the time was right to rein in Qatar's independent-minded foreign policy and to reassert Saudi leadership over the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). As a result, they led a coalition that also included Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates to put pressure on the government of Qatar to change its external policies and to accept the Saudi lead in regional and international affairs. When the Qataris balked at doing so and insisted on their independence, the Saudis lashed out by withdrawing their ambassador from Qatar, as did Bahrain and the UAE.

For additional information please see:
external pageAll CIRS Research Projects
external pageCIRS Publications
external pageVideo: Mehran Kamrava talks about his book "Qatar: Small State, Big Politics"

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