Qatar, a country study Edited by Helem Chapin Metz Qatar, a country study Table of Contents Qatar, a country study..............................................................................................................................................1 Edited by Helem Chapin Metz.......................................................................................................................2 Foreword........................................................................................................................................................4 Acknowledgments..........................................................................................................................................5 Preface............................................................................................................................................................6 Introduction....................................................................................................................................................7 Chapter 1. Historical Setting........................................................................................................................13 TRADE IN THE GULF...............................................................................................................................14 THE GULF IN THE ANCIENT WORLD..................................................................................................16 EARLY DEVELOPMENT OF ISLAM......................................................................................................17 Sunni Islam..................................................................................................................................................19 Shia Islam.....................................................................................................................................................20 The Spread of Islam.....................................................................................................................................22 THE GULF IN THE MIDDLE AGES........................................................................................................23 THE AGE OF COLONIALISM..................................................................................................................25 WAHHABI ISLAM AND THE GULF.......................................................................................................27 TREATIES WITH THE BRITISH..............................................................................................................28 DISCOVERY OF OIL.................................................................................................................................30 INDEPENDENCE.......................................................................................................................................31 DEVELOPMENTS SINCE INDEPENDENCE..........................................................................................34 TRIBAL NATURE OF GULF SOCIETY...................................................................................................36 Chapter 4. Qatar...........................................................................................................................................38 COUNTRY..................................................................................................................................................39 SOCIETY.....................................................................................................................................................40 ECONOMY.................................................................................................................................................41 TRANSPORTATION AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS........................................................................42 GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS.............................................................................................................43 NATIONAL SECURITY............................................................................................................................44 Qatar — Geography.....................................................................................................................................48 Qatar — Population.....................................................................................................................................49 Qatar — Education and Welfare..................................................................................................................50 Qatar — Health............................................................................................................................................51 Qatar — The Economy................................................................................................................................52 Oil.................................................................................................................................................................53 Natural Gas..................................................................................................................................................55 Industry........................................................................................................................................................56 Labor............................................................................................................................................................58 Agriculture and Fishing...............................................................................................................................59 Transportation and Telecommunications.....................................................................................................60 Money and Banking.....................................................................................................................................61 Budget..........................................................................................................................................................62 Trade............................................................................................................................................................63 Qatar — Government and Politics...............................................................................................................64 The Al Thani................................................................................................................................................67 The Merchant Families................................................................................................................................68 Opposition....................................................................................................................................................69 The Media....................................................................................................................................................70 Qatar — Foreign Relations..........................................................................................................................71 i Qatar, a country study Table of Contents Qatar, a country study Chapter 7. Regional and National Security Considerations.........................................................................73 Historical Overview.....................................................................................................................................75 Impact of the Iran−Iraq War, 1980−88........................................................................................................76 Persian Gulf War, 1991................................................................................................................................77 Territorial Disputes......................................................................................................................................78 Regional Security Problems.........................................................................................................................80 Collective Security under the Gulf Cooperation Council............................................................................82 Military Capabilities of the Persian Gulf States...........................................................................................84 Kuwait..........................................................................................................................................................86 Organization and Mission of the Forces......................................................................................................87 Role of Kuwaiti Armed Forces in the Persian Gulf War.............................................................................89 Personnel, Training, and Recruitment..........................................................................................................90 Internal Security...........................................................................................................................................91 Police and the Criminal Justice System.......................................................................................................92 Human Rights Practices...............................................................................................................................93 Bahrain.........................................................................................................................................................94