文档介绍：142 SAUDI ARABIA
Recent events
1971 Discussions on terms of Federation with Bahrain and the seven Sheikhdoms which
comprised the Trucial Oman having failed, Qatar became independent.
mencement of a long-term boundary dispute with Bahrain.
1995 Coup by the current Emir, Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani.
2001 Boundary disputes with Bahrain and Saudi Arabia settled.
2003 New, democratic constitution endorsed in popular referendum.
Key issues
Overwhelming importance of petroleum and particularly gas in the economy.
Establishment and development of the Saudi maritime corridor which separates Qatar from the
UAE.
Ethnic make-up of the population.
Water shortage.
People traffi cking.
Status
prises a small peninsula on the Gulf coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It is located near
Bahrain, midway between the Strait of Hormuz and Kuwait and is therefore centrally placed
with regard to petroleum-related turbulence. Among Middle Eastern countries, only Bahrain,
the future Palestinian state, Cyprus and Lebanon occupy a smaller area, while only Bahrain,
Cyprus and Western Sahara have a lower population. It is in every sense a micro-state but it has
the crucial asset of petroleum. Oil provides approximately 80 per cent of export earnings and
Qatar’s proved reserves of natural gas are the third largest in the world. As a result, it has a GDP
per capita which is the highest in the Middle East, almost times larger than those of Kuwait
and the UAE. Its defence budget is similar to that of o, a far larger state in every
respect.
The population has a high literacy rate but is only 40 per cent Arab; 36 per cent of the popula-
tion is listed as Indian or Pakistani and 10 per cent as Iranian. Given its obvious wealth, the
security of Qatar depends very much upon a balancing act internally and externally. It is one of
the few states which has maintained close relations with both the USA and Iran, to which it is
linked by a