The effectiveness of economic sanctions: the case of Qatar

Abstract

The debates on the effectiveness of economic sanctions have an important aspect of the sanctions’ literature. There are various assumptions of the determinants the “effectiveness” and the implementation of the “target states” policies are considered as one of the key factors. This thesis will introduce the arguments in this debate and will be focused on Qatar’s case, which is one of the recent crises in the contemporary world. In June 2017, four members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) – Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates and Egypt imposed the sanctions on Qatar, closed diplomatic and economic ties and as a result, enforced the blockade of the sea, air and the land spaces. As for the response, Qatar rejected the allegations proposed by the Quartet and in order to overcome the crisis, started to develop the states’ economy, agriculture and established the new diplomatic and trade relations with the states all around the world. The purpose of this study is to analyse the impact of sanctions on Qatar and understand how Qatar continued its advancement in the word politics. As a result, this research has found that Qatar managed to substitute the blockading states and establish new trade connections as well as develop agricultural productions.