Qatar, once one of the poorest Gulf states, is one of the richest countries in the region today.Qatar has used income from its large gas reserves to bankroll its regional and global ambitions, including hosting the 2022 Fifa World Cup tournament – the first Arab and Muslim-majority country to do so.
Not all of its regional interventions are popular with other Arab leaders, such as its support for the Palestinian Hamas faction in Gaza and Islamist groups in Egypt and Syria.
In 2017 Saudi Arabia led efforts to cut the country off, ostensibly to force it to abandon its support for radical and Islamist groups. Qatar says any ties with such groups are part of an independent policy of relations with regional actors and strongly denies supporting terrorism.
It also faces problems at home. Oil money funds an all-embracing welfare state, with many services free or heavily subsidised, but the treatment of migrant workers is frequently criticized by rights groups.
Some key dates in Qatar’s history:
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