The evolution of US-Qatari bilateral relations: a critical analysis

Arguably, since the end of the second Gulf war, the geopolitical importance of the Gulf area and in particular of Qatar, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia is developing in an unstoppable way. Cradle of major oil and gas sources and investments abroad, the Gulf today is unanimously recognized as the wealthiest area in the world, evidence of that is confirmed by the highest GDP in the world scored by Qatar (2011) with $90.149. Given the complexity of the issue, only a IR theoretical framework can make sense of the dynamics of the partnership, therefore the main research question driving this academic project is: does Realism explain the way bilateral relations work? This academic research focuses the emphasis on the impact which the 9/11 had on US- Qatari bilateral relations and the challenges posed by such a geopolitical milestone on the way the two countries interact with each other. The objectives of this research are therefore aimed at finding an academic answer to the functioning of the partnership in IR theory and eventually, with the help of Realist theory, to foresee the development of the partnership in the following years.