Qatar's Nation Branding Strategies: The Effectiveness of Soft Power

Qatar's Nation Branding Strategies: The Effectiveness of Soft Power Student Name: Bader Emad Mohammed Ali Mahdi Almaskati Student ID: 601653 Supervisor: Prof. Dr Stephen Hopgood Word Count: 9805 MA International Studies and Diplomacy 15/09/2014 “This dissertation is submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MA International Studies and Diplomacy of the School of Oriental and African Studies (University of London)” Plagiarism Declaration I have read and understood regulation 17.9 (Regulations for students of SOAS) concerning plagiarism. I undertake that all material presented for examination is my own work and has not been written for me, in whole or in part, by any other person(s). I also undertake that any quotation or paraphrase from the published or unpublished work of another person has been duly acknowledged in the work which I present for examination.  I give permission for a copy of my dissertation to be held at the School’s discretion, following final examination, to be made available for reference. Name: Bader Emad Mohammed Ali Mahdi Almaskati Programme of study: MA International Studies and Diplomacy Date: 15th September 2014  Abstract Soft power and nation branding are essential factors for a state to communicate with global audiences around the world. A state's investments in public diplomacy, and nation branding campaigns can prove to be effective in terms of establishing relationships with other countries, promoting tourism, and to gain influence in the international community. Qatar has established various soft power resources such as the Al Jazeera news network, FIFA World Cup 2022, and several cultural and educational exchange programs with countries from around the world. This dissertation will conclude that soft power has proved to be an effective strategy to be implemented by the state of Qatar, the small state has established itself in the international community by gaining legitimacy and credibility in the international community, which gives the small state the ability to gain regional influence. Through these soft power strategies the small state can go forward to pursue its ambitious foreign policy objectives. Table of Contents Introduction..........................................................................................................p4-5 Analyzing Soft power and Nation Branding …………………….…................ p6-17 Creating an Identity........................................................................................p6-8 Selling the Idea………...................................................................................p8-11 The Evolution of Soft Power…………...……………………………...…..p11-13 Soft Power and Classical Realism…………………………………………p13-17 The Influence of Al Jazeera……………………………......................................p18-23 Emergence of an Independent Arab News Channel.......................................p18-20 A Gateway for The People of The Arab World...............................................p21-22 The Al Jazeera Brand…………….…………………………………...……p22-23 Qatar’s Sports Diplomacy………………….........................................................p24-30 Financing and Sponsoring Sporting Events.....................................................p24-26 Qatar’s World Cup………………………………...........................................p26-30 Promoting Cultural Soft Power……………………………………………….…p31-39 Cultural Investments………………………………………………………..p32-37 Strategic Objectives of Qatar’s Cultural Diplomacy………………………...p37-39 Conclusion................................................................................................................p40-42 Bibliography………………………………………………………………...……p43-47 Introduction: Qatar, a small state located in the Middle East region with natural gas reserves of 900 trillion cubic feet making it the third largest in the world after Russia, and Iran. With a population of over just two million people, Qatar has managed to come up with a solid identity for itself to gain recognition and credibility in the international community. In recent years, Qatar has proved successful in standing out as a sovereign state and looking out for its national interest. The small state has managed to successfully implement soft power strategies to secure its foreign policy goals and objectives. The Aljazeera News channel proved to be a successful tool that was used by the Qatari government to maximize its diplomatic influence internationally through free press and liberalization in the Arab World. The exposure of the conflicts in the Arab world provided the Qatari state with immunity from the foreign public against the criticism of the lack of democracy within the region. Qatar has been using diplomatic strategies to distinguish the state as a peacemaker, by hosting mediation events as well as giving aid to other states that have suffered from natural disaster to enhance the state's soft power and global image. Having made major contributions to pragmatic engagement with the West, Qatar has vastly invested in education, promotion of human rights, and gender equality. The state of Qatar has made major investments to change the outdated stereotypical views towards Middle Eastern countries when it comes to culture, and Middle Eastern values. Branding the small island through international media, as a crisis mediator, and sports, Qatar has built an image for itself as a credible actor that has the ability to influence the dynamics of international relations. This dissertation will critically asses how soft power has proved that it was an effective tool used by the Qatari government to build a new national identity. This dissertation will then conclude that nation branding and public diplomacy is an important tool for states to expose their identity to the international community. Soft power enables a state to reach out to secure its foreign policy goals and objectives, and to build long term relationships with other countries. Analyzing Soft Power and Nation Branding Creating an Identity: Qatar is a small state competing for public consciousness around the world. However, it is not easy to change the world’s perception of a nation’s image. “In this crowded global marketplace, most people and organizations don’t have time to learn much about other places. The clichés and stereotypes-positive or negative, true or untrue-fundamentally affect our behavior towards other places and their people and products” (Anholt, 2007 p.8). Over the years Qatar’s identity has been closely tied with the conservative Islamic values which are widely misunderstood. As a progressive country the Qatari state is using soft power strategies to enhance its credibility amongst the international community. “The soft power of a country rests primarily on three resources: its culture (in places where it is attractive to others), its political values (when it lives up to them at home and abroad), and its foreign policies (when they are seen as legitimate and having moral authority) “(Nye, 2004, p.11).In order for Qatar to extend its international influence it has vastly invested in Public Diplomacy through cooperation with Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Multinational Corporations (MNCs), promoting cultural awareness/exchange, promoting tourism through hosting events (increasing openness), and by giving out financial aid to countries that are in need. Nation branding can lead to increasing the national prestige, increasing the export of goods, and improving cultural awareness.” Commercial branding can be just as relevant to nation branding in terms of consumer behavior and brand value. A successful brand is one that has a unique name and image in a consumer’s mind and that is what gives a brand an advantage over its competitors. “A national brand strategy determines the most realistic, most competitive and most compelling strategic vision for the country, and ensures that this vision is supported, reinforced and enriched by every act of communication between the country and the rest of the world.” (Anholt, 2005, p.11)Qatar is seeking to become a regional power and is trying to compete with its neighbors Saudi Arabia and Iran. As a sovereign state Qatar is looking for regional independence, it does not want to be perceived as a state that has the same characteristics of its neighboring countries. Promoting Qatari Cultural awareness and values will eventually lead the small Gulf state to expose its identity and differentiate itself from its neighboring countries. It is important for countries to be fairly understood and that the world is getting the right message that the state is aiming to deliver. However, the support of the Qatari government to the Muslim brotherhood over the role of political Islam within the region has led to major disputes between the Qatari government and member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in March 2014. These diplomatic disputes led to the withdrawal of the ambassadors of Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Bahrain from Qatar. Interestingly the Qatari government are standing firm to their decision of supporting the Muslim brotherhood which makes Qatar’s situation diplomatically sophisticated. Moreover, these actions have further enhanced Qatar’s credibility to the west as being a sovereign state that is acting in its own interest and being a state that is capable of making its own decisions regardless of its neighboring countries. The emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim Al Thani has made it very clear that the changes in the status quo within the region need to take place in order to challenge the stereotypical view of the international pubic towards the Qatari state. From a realist perspective in international relations it may be argued that the dispute between the GCC states and Qatar was a cause of classical balance of power dynamics. The decisions taken by the Qatari government to support the Muslim brotherhood in Egypt had a negative effect on its relationship with its neighboring countries. However, having the US security guarantee which backs Qatar, has allowed the small Gulf island to pursue its foreign policy objectives of building an international image as an ‘honest broker’ within the region. Although, Qatar needs to be careful when it comes to funding the Muslim brotherhood because it may be seen as the small state is exercising far more power than what it is capable of which will affect the balance of power dynamics within the region. In this case Qatar are playing a high risk game, as the state’s objective power is limited and they do not want to be labeled as taking the side of supporting extreme Islamic groups or “the axis of evil”. Selling the idea: “Soft power is the ability to affect others to obtain the outcomes one wants through attraction rather than coercion or payment” (Nye, 2004, p.4). As a small country, Qatar is using soft power to shape up the preferences of other states, by persuading states to buy into the Qatari culture and values. “A country may obtain the outcomes it wants in world politics because other countries—admiring its values, emulating its example, aspiring to its level of prosperity and openness—want to follow it.”(Nye, 2004, p.4). Soft power uses the methods of attraction through both internal and external practices to gain the policy outcomes that a state desires. Qatar is getting other states to buy into its values through its friendly behavior towards other states; these actions attract the international community in a way that states want to help Qatar into achieving shared objectives. Furthermore, Qatar has proved to be an influential international actor through acting as a regional intermediary and establishing discussions with groups such as Taliban and Hamas, which the US has difficulty interacting with. Playing the role of the regional mediator has given Qatar more credibility and legitimacy to pursue its foreign policy objectives. Qatar is seen as a country that has the ability to solve regional conflicts, a unique characteristic that brings people together to reach consensus on difficult issues. The Qatari government is looking to distinguish strong and more durable ties with the United States and the West by using the power of 'legitimacy' to secure the regional security of the small island. The expansion of public diplomacy in the post-Cold War era has proved effective in maintaining the balance of power, this has given small sovereign states the opportunity to act in their national interest without the use of military power. States have the ability to build relationships and establish a national brand through reputation, credibility, and legitimacy. The Qatari state has been raising its public diplomacy profile by closely tying its image with major events that are occurring in the Middle East region, in an effort to communicate with the international community and as a way to magnify their influence within the global society through foreign aid, free press, and sports diplomacy. Qatar’s nation branding strategies focus on the political and social image of the nation to further enhance the country’s soft power. The messages that are broadcasted by the Qatari government to the international public are simple to understand and recall. People are exposed to many messages every day, having a short and precise message repeated on a regular basis makes the ideas easy to grasp and understand. The goal is to sell the idea to the public and make them buy it, the main objective of public diplomacy as Nye explains it is to be able to win the hearts and minds of the public. (Nye, 2004, p.13) However, there is more to soft power than just delivering a message to the public. The ethics of soft power may sometimes backfire against a state if it promises and fails to deliver. It is very difficult if not impossible to measure soft power; it is indirect and based on long term relationships. For a state to maintain its reputation it must channel or limit its activities in the way it prefers. A state must stick to its reputable image so that it will not need as many costly carrots and sticks. It is almost like branding a product; a reputable brand enables its consumers to take the quality, sophistication, and reliability of the product on trust. An example would be when a consumer sees the Apple logo the first thing that will come to their mind is a high end innovating and creative technology. Apple has managed to brand its image through advertising and marketing strategies and they have never failed to disappoint. The same implies on states using soft power and public diplomacy strategies they have to deliver what is expected by the public. “A product with a famous name is one you can usually depend on to do what it is meant to do, one that’s made with quality ingredients or components, and backed by a substantial company which probably cares enough about its reputation to work hard to remedy any problems you may have with the product later on. A branded service, one hopes, invests constantly in the best training for the best people” (Anholt, 2007, p.3). Qatar has managed to enhance its soft power strategies and global image by gaining a reputation as a peacemaker.“In international politics, the resources that produce soft power arise in large part from the values an organization or Country expresses in its culture, in the examples it sets by its internal practices and policies, and in the way it handles its relations with others”(Nye, 2005, p.95). A successful public diplomacy strategy is one that serves the long term interests of the state. When a state uses public diplomacy it must take into consideration that a state is transferring accurate and honest information to the public, and that the policies that are undertaken by the state serve the interests of the world. The factors that make soft power so attractive are that it is a different currency that does not include money or threats. The objective of states that use public diplomacy is to gain exposure and to demonstrate values of openness to promote peace building and collaboration between states. The Evolution of Soft Power: The days in which a state’s power could be measured in the size of its military forces or in traditional patterns of enforcement are long gone. The power of influence and legitimacy is what gives states the power to push their agenda forward towards the international community. The development of technology has allowed information to spread rapidly and to be accessible at all times. The evolution of social media channels has made it easier for the people around the world to interact with one another. Social media has been used by governments as well as NGOs as a tool to gain exposure and to send their message across. The evolution of digital communication has changed the dynamics on how news is delivered to the public. Social media can be used by governments to reach out to global audiences to promote a certain cause. The Qatari government is publishing its accomplishments and peaceful reforms to gain international recognition on international news websites and social media in order to have a greater social impact within the international community. The evolution of technology can be used as a tool for advocacy to tell the story of a nation by targeting international audience. Technology can be used by governments that are seeking for cooperation with states that have mutual interests; it can also act as a beneficial factor for legitimizing certain actions that states implement. Today, governments are taking advantage of the evolution in technology by using it as a tool for soft power to create branding campaigns and as a means to establish marketing communications techniques to gain exposure, attraction, and to become a preference among international audience. Public diplomacy and nation branding are two closely linked concepts. “Nation branding concerns how a state as a whole presents its identity to other nations, whereas public diplomacy is a subset of nation branding that focuses on the political brand of a nation”(Fan, 2008, p.20). Qatar’s oil and natural gas wealth and production have been part of the state’s branded image in order to serve its economic objectives. Whenever a news article is published about the Qatari state, it usually begins by stating the wealth of the emirate and that it has the highest Gross domestic product (GDP) in the world. The creation of Qatar Airways which is the state owned flag-carrier of Qatar. The airline operates services across all continents around the world, flying to over 120 destinations. Qatar Airways is a world class flight carrier that is known to be quality oriented. The airline represents the Qatari state by carrying its name into over 120 destinations and using the word “Qatar” in its advertising campaigns. The mission of Qatar Airways is “excellence in everything we do.” The image of Qatar Airways builds a reputation for the Qatari state as a state that is culturally aware and is committed to excellence in its services. “With proper branding, Qatar becomes more than simply a place where oil or natural gas is produced, and Doha more than an anonymous city with modern buildings and shopping malls. The fundamental advantage, however, is that it assures the legitimacy of the micro state and increases its awareness which will enhance the prospects of the state’s survival.”(Peterson, 2006, p.748). Soft power has proved to be the most efficient and effective strategy to set the agenda and to attract others in world politics. Qatar is using multiple soft power strategies to differentiate itself from its neighbors to broaden its appeals and to create a unique brand. Soft power gives states the ability to shape their long term attitudes and preferences which grants states the privileges of protecting their political/economic goals. Soft Power and Classical Realism: The concept of power is closely associated with the theory of classical realism in the field of international relations (IR). From a classical realist account, struggle for power and security is the dominant logic in world politics. International politics are always power politics; for it is impossible to eliminate power from them. The Qatari state is turning to the west as potential allies. Therefore, the Qatari state is investing vast sums of capital wealth in its soft power strategies in order to enhance its image and increase the state’s credibility within the region to attract international investments. The basic aim of Qatar’s soft power strategy is to ensure that the overall distribution of power within region operates in its favor. An example of a soft power strategy to maximize influence within the region would be the Qatari relations with Israel. Qatar, being the only gulf state to maintain official relations with Israel has helped the small Emirate to broaden its foreign policy agenda by gaining the trust of the western allies through ‘special relationships’. The Qatar Israel relationship has helped Qatar economically by supplying gas to Israel, and it has also helped in strengthening its ties with the US through amicable relations. These relations were also in the Israeli favor in terms of political interests, and to enhance diplomatic relations within the region. There is “just equilibrium” in the relationship between the two states, and proves that there is no such thing as an altruistic alliance. Therefore, soft power was used as a tool by Qatar to correct its relations to achieve a greater degree of influence over the dynamics of politics within the region. “Legitimacy is a power reality, Competitive struggles over legitimacy are part of enhancing or depriving actors of soft power” (Yasushi and McConnell, 2004, p.13).The concept of Soft power is based on a long term approach for a state to get other state to co-opt through attraction, as opposed to hard power in which a state uses threats of military power to gain the outcomes that it wants. Furthermore, when power is used in coercive measure it is measured as “A exercising power over B when A affects B in a manner contrary to B’s interests.”(Lukes, 2005, p.30) However, through public diplomacy strategies Qatar has used the power of legitimacy and attraction to affect the opinion of the public. Through its ambitious foreign policy, Qatar is sending an image to the public that it is a friendly state that encourages cooperation and aims to gain stability within the Middle Eastern region. In this situation A is giving images to B, A wants to give an image to B that they are in a particular world, and wants B to take part in that world. Persuasion and attraction may be employed to influence behavior and attitudes of state and non-state actors; the Qatari state is setting an agenda of economic prosperity and success for its potential allies. Carr (1964) writes that power over opinion is not less essential for political purposes than military and economic power, and has always been closely associated with them. Carr devoted specific attention to analyzing propaganda as a form of power over opinion, which he considered to be a potent political force. It can be argued that power comes with the ability to shape the opinions and preferences of others. “In an information age, it is often the side which has the better story that wins. In the recent [2006] fighting in Lebanon, for example, Israel was militarily stronger than Hezbollah, but many observers believe that Hezbollah won because it was better able to shape the post-war narrative” (Nye, 2008, p.11). As Qatar is taking the role of the mediator in the region, the small state is moving a step forward to reaching its foreign policy objective of sustaining a leading regional position. Skeptics may argue that Qatar taking the leadership role in the recent intervention in Libya and by funding militant groups in Syria, these actions led to a shift in the balance of the state’s identity as a peaceful mediator by being accused of promoting the escalation of violence within the region. However, Qatar are using multiple soft power strategies because the state is susceptible to sources of instability within the region, the small state is interested in maintaining the status quo to maintain its security and stability, and it is doing so by embedding itself with the western alliance. Qatar’s role in the Libyan intervention extends beyond the circumstances facing the Libyan population; the intervention was mainly pursued in the national interest of the great powers. Approximately 85 percent of Libya’s oil exports in 2010 went to Italy, France, Britain and Spain (The Economist, 2011). In this occasion, game theory can be applied to explain the choices of Qatar. On one hand, the Qatari government has used Aljazeera as a resource to mobilize support for collective actions. Moreover, Qatar’s image as a regional mediator that represents universal values makes it easier to mobilize collective actions in order for it to help its western allies. On the other hand, Qatar’s ‘humanitarian’ acts of protecting civilians and promoting peace within the region gives Qatar more credibility measures and strengthens the state’s relationship with the west, leading to an increase in national security as well as achieving the state’s goal of exercising leverage on the international community. Also, Qatar’s cooperation with the West will promote its economic leverage by increasing the extensive economic links between Qatar and the West, especially in the hydrocarbon sector. The Influence of Al Jazeera: Emergence of an Independent Arab News Channel: 1996 saw the emergence of one of the most influential news organization in international politics today. Aljazeera was established from the Qatari Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani with an initial contribution of $147 million. Arab media has an experienced a radical shift since the launch of Aljazeera. Qatar has managed to capitalize on the decline of BBC’s Arab World Service news channel broadcast from London which was due to ‘cultural sensitivities’. Aljazeera news expanded to become a powerful advocate with particular political ambitions. The Qatari based news channel offers a new and different perspective in delivering news; the news channel focuses on freedom of speech, democracy, and transparency. Aljazeera has changed the political landscape in the Middle East. The Qatari originated news broadcasting channel has become a distinguished high-quality product for delivering Arab and Islamic issues in detail while offering its viewers a broad picture of what is happening in as much of an unbiased manner and as broad-minded as possible. The official motto of the Aljazeera network is “the opinion and the other opinion.” Aljazeera has managed to differentiate itself from Arab news channels by being able to stand out as an independent actor and by putting pressure on Arab governments to take action on certain issues and to alter their domestic policies. The media organization has managed to enhance the prestige and credibility of the Qatari state within the international community through its visibility and influence on the Arab world. “Coinciding with its independence-identity is Al Jazeera’s image as a news network whose primary concern is that of the public as a whole. It is not merely that Al Jazeera is independent from existing nodes of power in the international community. The brand’s popularity is due not only to Al Jazeera’s independence from existing nodes of power, but also to the network’s identity being tied to serving an imagined pan-Arab community”(Powers and Glilboa, 2007, p.68). The norm of censorship in the Arab region began to undo due to the rise of Al Jazeera. The Qatari based news channel ultimately empowered Arabs to take action towards their government’s policies. During the Egyptian uprisings, Egyptian TV was not publicizing the demonstrations in Tahrir Square. “While Al Jazeera was showing hundreds of thousands of people calling for the end of the regime, Egyptian TV showed humdrum scenes of traffic quietly passing by; when Al Jazeera reported hundreds of people queuing for bread and petrol, Egyptian TV showed happy shoppers with full fridges using footage filmed at an unknown time in the past”(Miles, 2011). The influence of Al Jazeera has helped bring revolution in Egypt; this has given Al Jazeera much credibility as an organization that promotes democracy through free press, without resource to censorship and editorial bias. Al Jazeera media has managed to win the hearts and minds of millions of Arabs through its support and coverage throughout the Arab Spring. “The network’s public discourse reveals a consistent theme emphasizing Al Jazeera’s obligation to its transnational Arab and Muslim audience, part of a rhetorical trope that taps into one of the defining characteristics of today’s new public diplomacy: understanding communication as dialogue”(Powers and Gliboa, 2007, p.71). Officials in the West relied upon Al Jazeera’s transmissions to monitor developments that were taking place in Egypt during the uprisings. Although skeptics can argue that Qatar was biased and was supporting the Muslim Brotherhood, the actions taken by Al Jazeera showed that Qatar was a progressive society. The tiny island has become a major influential actor in Middle Eastern politics, by proving that their media channel was a powerful advocate that has the ability to influence and shape public opinion in foreign societies. After the attacks of 9/11 is when Al Jazeera became a significant player in international politics being the only international news organization with an operating bureau in Kabul. This provided the news channel with firsthand exposure to the events that took place during the Western intervention. The delivery of the news focused on the damages that were caused in Afghanistan due to the western intervention. “Al Jazeera’s cameras focused on the civilian and the infrastructural damage caused by the American-led invasion, producing images that were seen quite unfavorably by an American government struggling to build international support of their newfound military endeavor”(Zayani, 2005, p.3). The news channel was criticized by the West as being linked to terrorist organizations and as a broadcaster of “hateful propaganda”. However, the news channel’s influence grew among Arabs and Muslims, and the West started to realize how important it is to win the support of the Arab world to further its foreign policy objectives. A Gateway for the People of the Arab world: The Aljazeera news network has become a gateway for Arabs and Muslims to be heard. The global media has been controlled for a long period of time by the west until the rise of the Qatari based news channel. Western correspondents and newspapers were constantly criticized towards having a biased agenda when it comes to covering conflicts in Arab states. When Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani came to power in 2013 he decided to abolish the ministry of information in an effort to avoid sectarianism within the region. The Emir’s speech in announcing his acceptance of his father’s transfer to power Emir Tamim stated: “We are a state, a people, a cohesive society – not a political party. We therefore seek to maintain relations with all governments and nations. We respect all dedicated and influential political movements in the region, and side with no party against another.”(Almuhannadi, 2013) The press gained more freedom in delivering news through the lens of the Middle Eastern people. Conflicts that were rising in the Muslim world that were viewed as “insignificant” by global media started to gain more attention, allowing opposition groups space to criticize their repressive governments. “Aljazeera has been the only Arab broadcaster to make serious inroads with western audiences, challenging the stereotype that globalization must mean westernization” (Kinninmont, 2013).It is impressive how a small Arab country such as Qatar has managed to exert influence on the western countries via the power of its media. Al Jazeera made it very easy for its viewers to access it whether it was through satellite, internet, and phone through Al Jazeera Mobile. The distribution strategy of the media organization expanded to North America and Europe by launching Al Jazeera English which is a 24 hour English-language news channel that is targeting global audience to gain brand recognition in the West and works to expand Al Jazeera’s influence as a global media player. Also, the news channel has expanded its product offerings when it launched the Al Jazeera sports channels, which have exclusive coverage for major sporting events among the world such as the Olympics, the world cup, and major European leagues. Al Jazeera has managed to distinguish itself amongst the world’s most influential brands, and has been gaining mainstream credibility beyond its borders. The Al Jazeera Brand: Al Jazeera had succeeded in building a powerful brand. The media channel is now competing with major international news broadcasters such as BBC and CNN in terms of the number of global audience. The fact that the media network is the first of its kind within the Arab region has given it a first-mover advantage over regional television broadcasters. Creating strategic partnerships to develop its reach to global audiences, Al Jazeera have made several deals with major cable and news operators around the world such as Hong Kong Cable Limited, The Independent, and Time Warner Cable. However, western audiences view Al Jazeera’s news as a propaganda tool for the Qatari government, it still the most influential source for delivering news from the Arab world. Today, viewers have a choice in making their opinion towards issues that have previously been ignored by the sectarian spectrum of the West. Although, one can argue that Al Jazeera has been accused of being biased towards certain issues and is seen leaning towards a certain political party. A counter argument from a liberalist perspective would be that the Al Jazeera is acting to influence the national interest through globalization; it is seeking to create economic, social, and cultural incentives across borders by focusing on groups that influence the national interest to reach its political goals which are defending their political sovereignty and national security. Al Jazeera’s public diplomacy has helped the Gulf island gain leverage over its oil rich neighbors, by implementing its soft power strategies Qatar is distancing itself from the image of being viewed as just an oil-rich country, the Qatari state is trying to shape its identity to be viewed as a country that promotes democratization and freedom of expression. Qatar’s Sports Diplomacy: In the contemporary world, sports have become a universally shared value; it has become more of an ideology that provides a set of beliefs and values which are based on mutual understanding, moral values, and ethical principles which are universally applicable. “Sports touch upon and deeply influence such disparate elements as status, race relation, business life, automobile design, clothing styles, and the concept of the hero, language, and ethical values"(Boyle, 1963, p.3). Today, Qatar is using sports diplomacy as a form of international communication. Sports have become a powerful force to reaching out to people around the globe, it cut across national and cultural differences, and the rules of sports are the same universally regardless to context or culture. Sports have become a universally valued human practice, it is a practice that teaches endurance, team work, respect for others, and encourages a sense of fair play. Sports diplomacy connects people from around the world through shared values and passions, it can be a powerful medium to reach out and build long lasting relationships between governments. Financing and Sponsoring Sporting Events: In recent years, the state of Qatar has been investing heavily in the sponsorship of sporting events. Sports play a significant role within Qatar’s overall soft power strategy; it has proved to be a successful channel for nation branding. Qatar has been hosting major tennis and golf tournaments, and the 2006 Asian Olympics. By employing sports, the image of Qatar’s diplomacy has been more effective on the international community. “Nation branding, aside from contributing to tourism, stimulating foreign investment and encouraging exports, focuses on increasing currency stability, reestablishing international credibility and investor trust, increasing political influence, strengthening international alliance, and improving the nation’s image on the global stage”(Anholt, 2007, p.28) The nation branding strategies implemented by Qatar aim to improve the state’s international reputation, Qatar wants to acquire certain glamour to differentiate itself from its neighboring countries by being a center of sporting excellence. Qatar’s investments in sporting activities proved to have a significant impact on the state’s influence in international relations. Therefore, Sports diplomacy has proved to be an important element in the forming of Qatar’s national identity. To further the state’s public diplomacy approach in linking its image with sports values, the Qatar Foundation has paid FC Barcelona £120m for a five year deal to become the first ever sponsor of the Barcelona shirt, arguably the world’s most prestigious advertising space(Conn, 2013). Two seasons later the sponsor was changed to Qatar Airways. As part of the company’s marketing strategy to increase its sales and publicity around the world, Qatar Airways has closely associated itself with the Catalan giants by launching marketing campaigns involving celebrity endorsers such as Lionel Messi and Neymar Da Silva. Since its beginnings, “FC Barcelona has been characterized by being not just a football organization, but also a powerful force for globalization, solidarity, integration and social cohesion. Qatar Airways fully identifies with these values, which is why this partnership between both organizations is much more than just a simple economic alliance. Furthermore, Qatar Airways’ partnership with FC Barcelona will help to position the airline in the world.”(Drum, 2013) Qatar Airways’ efforts to gain brand recognition have been effective around the world, millions of fans watch their heroes play on television wearing the Barcelona shirt with the airline’s logo on it, not to mention the millions of fans buying the football jersey and wearing it everywhere around the world. The brand visibility of the airline carrying Qatar’s name has become a global brand that consumers are familiar with. “Contemporary brands succeed by getting close to the dreams of their audiences. They promise a better world, and they strive to deliver one. Since nation-states today need to reengage popular support and understanding, they should use the power of branding to deliver a message about their value and valued to the widest possible audience.”(Ham, 2003, p129) These branding strategies help Qatar establish an emotional relationship with football fans by portraying the state’s personality as “friendly” or even “fun”. Qatar’s World Cup: In 2010 Qatar has managed to win the bid for hosting the world’s largest sporting event, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) has awarded the gulf state the rights to host the FIFA world cup 2022 amongst 11 other bidding countries, which makes it the first country to ever host the world cup in the Middle East region. Hosting this mega event will enable Qatar to communicate its attractiveness through the shared cultural values of sport. The motive for an autocratic state such as Qatar to host a mega sporting event is to increase its international credibility, prestige and potential for agency. Mega sporting events can offer remarkable public diplomacy opportunities for the state of Qatar. “By successfully hosting a major sporting event to showcase shared social norms and sameness, the state can enhance its international prestige and attractiveness in order to boost its agency in international politics.” (Grix and Lee, 2013, p.529). Sports can be a powerful channel to reach out and build relationships, the FIFA world cup 2022 will announce Qatar’s emergence on the world stage as a major player. “The FIFA World Cup is the world’s largest single-port event, which attracts a global television audience of over 35 billion people.” (FIFA,2010). Major infrastructure developments will take place in the upcoming years as part of Qatar’s international development strategy. Billions of dollars will be invested in building stadiums and training facilities, a new airport for the venue, and towards transport infrastructure. However, the hype of the 2022 world cup has attracted major media attention to the Gulf Island. Like most developing nations, having potentially incorrect or stereotyped associations, Qatar’s government was accused of allowing the abuse of migrant workers and were pressured to comply with international labour laws for workers by FIFA to ensure that stadiums and facilities for the 2022 World Cup “will not be built on the backs of abused and exploited workers”. Moreover, the Qatari state is now trying to overcome the challenges it is facing ahead of the event taking place in 2022. The Qatari government is pressured to make labor reforms and oblige to international labor laws to maintain its status as a credible actor and to avoid criticism from the international community which may lead to potential sanctions. Hosting the FIFA World Cup 2022 is a major step forward for Qatar in terms of international recognition and in gaining leverage over its neighboring countries. Hosting the World Cup will provide Qatar a unique opportunity to enhance its public diplomacy externally and internally. Mega-sporting events as large as the World Cup will gain major media attention and will put Qatar in the global spotlight. The tiny Gulf state will finally get the opportunity to communicate with the world and enhance its attractiveness by the shared cultural value of sport. “This is not a new development in international relations, for the Nazis attempted to influence foreign public opinion of their regime through a bombastic Olympics as early as 1936 with the first true “sports mega-event”. Because of the centrality of universally admired values in international sporting events, hosting states can enhance their attractiveness to others by demonstrating that they not only share those values, but also that they wish to champion and collectively celebrate these within the context of their own distinctive cultural social and political values.”(Grix and Lee, 2013, p.528). Hosting the World Cup will enhance Qatar’s image as well as its political and economic credibility; this may potentially lead to increased trade and investments, and attracting tourism. Qatar will also expand its influence and regional role amongst its neighbors as this event will create a growing sense of national pride amongst the GCC and will be a key factor to settling the ongoing diplomatic disputes between them. The FIFA World Cup 2022 will boost Qatar’s reputation as the sporting hub in the Middle East. Qatar is expected to spend over $200 billion on its preparation to host the FIFA World Cup 2022, costing more than the five past FIFA World Cups put together. It may be argued that globalization has turned the world into a supermarket in which states are competing to attract the attention of the public in order for them to gain a competitive edge. However, these investments aim to serve Qatar’s cultural interests, the quality, dynamism, and creative innovation will potentially increase the contribution of Qatari athletes in respective sports. Sports occupy a central role in international politics, and sports diplomacy allows nations to contribute towards global culture. States can use sports as a tool to enhance diplomatic relations with one another through increasing dialogue and cultural understanding. A famous example of effective sports diplomacy was the “ping pong diplomacy” in 1971 between the US and China. Through ping pong the diplomatic relationship between the two states has been revived after 22 years of not being in contact with each other. The US sent its ping pong team to play in China, and a year later China reciprocated the visit. Ping pong led to formal diplomatic relations between the two states and led to an advent relationship in terms of trade, investment, and politics. Qatar’s sport diplomacy aims at increasing the prestige of the country, creating a unique brand, and towards assuring the legitimacy of the state in international relations. Sports has become more than just a game, sports can be used as a means to solidify a state’s reputation. Public visibility allows states to attract publicity, hosting a sports-mega event will attract cameras and will be mentioned in top-selling newspapers from around the world. The absence of Qatar in sports over the years has not given them the benefit of communicating with the world through sharing the commonalities and passion those sports has to offer. Hosting the world cup will draw the attention of almost every nation in the world. The World Cup will have a generally liberalizing effect on Qatar’s international politics. As a developing nation hosting the World Cup, Qatar is sending a geopolitical message demonstrating that they have taken their place on the international stage. Qatar’s sports diplomacy is creating a positive impression among foreign audiences as well as playing a major role in attracting tourism and foreign investments. Promoting Cultural Soft Power: Culture can be defined as the characteristics, values, and beliefs of a particular society that distinguishes members of one society from others. Cultural diplomacy implies that cultural relations are concerned with projection, how a country makes a statement for what it stands for. States use cultural diplomacy as a way to differentiate themselves and create an impression to improve their self-image amongst the public. “Culture has the capacity to move and persuade audiences, and to shape and reveal identities; creative expression has the potential to increase understanding and respect between disparate cultures and peoples.”(Singh, 2012, p-102) The challenge for all countries is to find ways of frequently present and re-present their previous cultural achievements alongside their modern equivalents in ways that are relevant and attractive to global audiences. Moreover, states use cultural diplomacy as a tool to foster common values, and as a means of combating negative impression and stereotypes. Cultural diplomacy is a type of public diplomacy and soft power which was effectively implemented during the Cold War period by the United States to expand their influence. During the cold war, cultural diplomacy was considered a central part of America’s strategy to eliminate the communist threat. The Central Intelligence Agency has sponsored cultural exchange with European countries to win the hearts and minds of the people by building libraries, through educational exchanges, and promoting cultural programs to enhance the image of the American way of life. As part of the American initiative to build on their cultural diplomacy the CIA sponsored the congress for cultural freedom which promoted the intellectual freedom, creativity, and the cultural power of the United States. The attempts of the United States’ cross cultural exchange during the détente period proved to be affecting the Eastern bloc towards the decline of the communist influence by creating a social impact and attracting the public in the Eastern bloc. America’s cultural diplomacy proved to be an effective strategy in eliminating the Soviet Union. “Soft power is more difficult to wield, because many of its crucial resources are outside the control of governments, and their effects depend heavily on acceptance by the receiving audiences.”(Nye, 2004, p.99) Cultural Investments: Investing in soft power resources is necessary for a state, promoting positive images and interacting with the international community creates credibility, and governments compete to increase their own credibility and weaken that of their opponents. However, “skeptics who treat the term “public diplomacy” as a mere euphemism for propaganda miss the point. Simple propaganda often lacks credibility and thus is counterproductive as public diplomacy. Public diplomacy is a form of soft power that is used by governments to communicate with the public; it is more than just persuasion or propaganda. (Nye, 2004, p.106)" Public diplomacy aims at building long-term relationships by convincing people of certain ideas to increase a state’s credibility and reputation and most certainly to increase national security. In Qatar’s case the promotion of cultural activities is helping Qatar build an identifiable image for what the state stands for and what kind of society it is, the employment of cultural diplomacy helps towards investment promotion by further elaborating the state’s image as a reliable business partner. “Public diplomacy consists of all a nation does to explain itself to the world and cultural diplomacy—the use of creative expression and exchanges of ideas, information, and people to increase mutual understanding—supplies much of its content.”(Schneider, 2004) According to Nye (2004) the notion of soft power implies that cultural relations are concerned with projection, making a statement for what country stands for through its culture. Furthermore, cultural relations are guided by the potency and attractiveness of a nation’s available assets. If a state wants to progress and do so while protecting its interests, it is essential for a state to have deeper understanding of other nations’ cultures. Cultural diplomacy is critical to fostering peace and stability throughout the world. In an effort to build long lasting relationships with the public, Qatar has invested vastly towards staging and sponsoring international conferences, art exhibitions, sporting events, and educational exchange programs to establish a means of cultural integration with outside actors. Qatar’s culture is one that is associated with traditional Islamic values. However, with the rapid socioeconomic changes going on in the country and the inevitable effects of globalization, the Qatari society has developed in terms of cultural diversity and tolerance towards others cultures. Moreover, the Qatari society has successfully adapted to the challenges that modernization has brought to their values and culture, the literacy rate amongst adult women in Qatar grew to 93% which is the highest amongst the GCC countries. Gender equality grew among the Qatari culture; the role of women within the Qatari society has become an important one where they are allowed to vote and giving them the ability to run for public office. The Qatar Foundation has invested in forming an educational city in Doha which consists of top class universities from the United States, Canada, and the UK such as Georgetown University, Carnegie Mellon University, Virginia Commonwealth University, and many more. The goal of the educational city is to develop the education system for the Qatari youth and to diversify the state’s economy by becoming a center for educational excellence within the region. The educational city has enabled alternative pathways to expose Qatar’s culture throughout the world. Education is the key for changes and development within a society. Cultural and educational exchange programs enable students to better understand the traditions, values, and beliefs of other cultures. Educational and cultural exchange provides students the opportunity to blend in with the Qatari culture from a first person perspective. Cultural and educational exchanges allows students to experience the culture through engaging with Qatari society and taking part in national occasions such as Ramadan or the Muslim religious Eid celebrations to promote the Qatari culture. Soft power rests on some shared values. That is why exchanges are often more effective than mere broadcasting. The objective of having these exchanges is to persuade the international community that things can be done in a different way and still be successful, and education has a great potential in changing people’s minds. The educational city also plays a role of a visible actor of cultural relations between Qatar and the international community. The establishment of the educational city has created a deep and long lasting relationship with its counterparts in other countries. The cultural ties that are established by these institutions can last through long periods of time. Moreover, raising Qatar’s profile as a center for educational exchange can play a valuable role towards strengthening the diplomatic relationships between state and non-state actors in the long-term. Popular culture is often a resource that produces soft power. The Qatar Museum Authority (QMA) which is a government department responsible for the development of Qatari culture, the cultural authority is vastly investing towards the development of museums, cultural institutions, and heritage sites in Doha. The Museum of Islamic Art in Doha stands out as an architectural gem, bringing together the finest works in the Islamic world. The museum has become a major tourist attraction for cultural tourists from around the world which adds to Qatar’s recognition as a cultural hub in the Middle East region. Qatar’s Islamic Museum shows the beauty of Islamic art and calligraphy which associates with the qualities and characteristics of the Arab world’s Islamic culture. The development of museums and cultural attractions helps in the development of the tourism sector of the country, art and cultural enthusiasts from around the world begin, little by little, to form an altered opinion about Qatar’s cultural values and the beauty of its traditions which produces a brand communicated with the island’s history. Tourists will now have a ‘special connection’ with Qatar’s culture and have a feeling that they can relate to the country’s traditions. The QMA have also launched a set of cultural ventures to further promote Qatar’s heritage in foreign countries. Bi-lateral exchange programs have been developed by QMA to showcase and explain modern Qatar to the world. A recent QMA cultural exchange partnership was the Qatar UK 2013 project which involved the collaboration of the British council, it was a year-long program aimed at strengthening the bilateral relations by building lasting relationships between institutions and individuals. As part of the project a major exhibition was opened in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. The exhibit showed the cultural tradition of pearling within Qatar and the Gulf, and how the utilization of the sea’s resources shaped up the cultural identities of Qatar’s society. The exhibition also explores the history of pearls in the west and how pearls were seen as desirable luxury in Europe, and how during the renaissance pearls were a symbolic value of purity and perfection. The Qatar UK 2013 project was successful in promoting awareness and appreciation of each country’s culture and traditions. Such engagements between states reinforce the cultural identity to the world and help in understanding the values of others to develop cultural diversity. Qatar has also promoted its cultural diplomacy through delivering humanitarian aid to countries suffering from natural disaster and political crisis.”The State of Qatar During 2012 was able to extend assistance (government and non-governmental aid) worth QR 3,001,764,025 to almost 100 countries spread across all the continents.”(Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2013). Humanitarian aid is essential for a state to expose its cultural morality to the foreign public as it can potentially be a step towards international cooperation and forming an international body of collective identity. A recent example of Qatar’s humanitarian aid was the Qatar Friendship Fund (QFF) in 2012. After the massive Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami in 2012, Qatar pledged to supply humanitarian aid to Japan as a symbol of friendship to bolster the existing relationship between the two countries. The project supported the rehabilitation of the fishing industry in Japan to generate employment opportunities for the people in the Eastern Japanese region. Participating in humanitarian aid creates a brand of legitimacy for Qatar that will support their ambitious foreign policy which is based on the principle of consolidating peace and stability. Strategic objectives of Qatar’s cultural diplomacy: The strategic objectives behind the cultural diplomacy campaigns that are being implemented by the Qatari government aim to diversify the state’s economy to decrease it vulnerability to the boom and bust cycles of the oil and natural gas prices. The aim behind the state’s economic diversification is to spread risk by creating a variety of income sources. Qatar is building a tourist profile for the island by allowing visitors to better understand the culture that the small island has to offer ranging from heritage, cuisine, language, and festivals. Qatar’s museums and cultural heritage promote the co-existence between cultures and religions from around the world which places Qatar as an attractive cosmopolitan destination that has a wide range of experiences and activities to offer. The small island aims to become a global tourist hot-spot that offers a unique and exciting experience to its visitors. With Qatar Airways now flying to over 120 destinations it is relevantly easy for tourists and businessmen from all around the world to access the small island and enjoy the luxury it has to offer. A similar example to a city brand that has recently established itself is Qatar’s neighbor, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has managed to develop its tourist industry making it an attractive destination in the Middle East. Dubai and Abu Dhabi have become strategic destinations for tourists and businessmen from around the world, giving its visitors a taste of the Emirati culture which was not exposed to the international community in previous years. Qatar is taking the same footsteps as its neighboring country in order for it to develop it cultural and tourism industry. The UAE has branded itself as a destination for tourists that are seeking luxury and glamour hosting cultural and art events, music and film festivals, and the Formula 1 World Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi. These advancements in the UAE have attracted a vast amount of tourist attention from all over the world. The UAE has managed to brand itself as a country that is very culturally diverse and welcoming. Only recently in 2010, the Hollywood movie Sex and the City 2 which was a top box-office hit in the US film industry was filmed in Abu Dhabi. The movie provided global audiences cultural knowledge on the traditions and values of the UAE. Such cultural exchange mechanisms can increase a state’s attractiveness to the public by raising the country’s popularity and building an image as a tourist paradise that is unique. The contribution of arts and culture to the economy is a necessity when a country is trying to diversify its economy. Innovative works through art and culture can go on to become great commercial success. Cultural diplomacy is a necessary tool for states to establish links and commonalities between each other. Cultural branding gives states the ability to expand their markets by attracting more tourists and investors giving states the ability to charge more for their products and services to generate an overall political/economic advantage. The images and culture of a country determines the way the world sees it and treats it. Therefore, it is important for states to establish a brand for themselves to create a national identity that is a mirror to the soul of the country. Nation branding is necessary to attract the public into admiring a state’s values and traditions to improve its reputation amongst the international community. The opportunity which branding offers is a great way to share and build collectivity amongst states. By acquiring more knowledge and information consumers’ tastes and preferences are constantly changing, Qatar’s marketing strategies for building a consumer brand preference to increase the state’s tourism industry will prove to be an influential factor in developing Qatar’s economy in the future. Conclusion: This dissertation has aimed to focus on how Qatar has used soft power strategies to create a national identity for itself, and how these strategies can have a positive effect on the country in terms of creating a national brand to communicate in various diplomatic approaches with the international community. The implementation of soft power strategies by states generates leverage. States practice soft power to generate a sense of legitimacy and credibility so that they can be accepted in the international community. Investing and developing public diplomacy campaigns can help states expose their national identity to the world. The concept of soft power gives states the ability to shape the preferences of others. As Nye explains it “getting others to want the outcomes that you want—co-opts people rather than coerce them” (Nye, p.4, 2004). In Qatar’s case, using soft power resources was an effective strategy to enhance the state’s reputation, image, and leverage in the international community. The small state has seized the spotlight in the Middle East region, identity has become one that is much more attractive than it has ever been. Qatar has managed to effectively promote soft power in various ways. The investments placed by the government to promote public diplomacy proved to be a major success for the small island to rise on the global stage. Al Jazeera, has become a major international media channel that is recognized worldwide, the news channel has proved its influence on the hearts and minds of the Muslims and Arabs around the world during the 9/11 crisis and throughout the Arab Spring. Qatar’s major involvement in the sporting industry has lifted the state’s activity in terms of international communication; the FIFA World Cup 2022 has raised the state’s reputation sky high and has given the tiny island an opportunity to expose its identity to the world by hosting the mega sporting event. Also, the state’s investments in bi-lateral exchange programs have been a major success for the Gulf country in terms of strengthening its long-term relationships with countries around the world. Qatar’s efforts to familiarize its culture and expose it to the world is proving to be a beneficial factor to the country by improving its tourism sector, attracting foreign investments, and in maintaining its stability in a political environment that is not conducive to stability. By building its reputation and credibility through its soft power resources Qatar has took the role of the regional mediator within the Middle East and is going forward in reaching its foreign policy objectives to gain regional leverage. Overall, Qatar’s rise on the global stage proves that soft power is a realistic concept that is effective in world politics. The image and identity of a state are essential elements for a state to establish a brand for itself so that it can gain influence and further its foreign policy objectives. “Soft power and nation branding are two closely linked concepts. Nation branding concerns how a nation as a whole presents and represents itself to other nations” (Anholt, 2006). 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