Qatar's European Strategy

A general view of Doha city with buildings under construction Dec. 24, 2012.
(photo by REUTERS/Fadi Al-Assaad)

The Greek government, in the midst of a severe economic crisis, recently decided to knock on Qatar's door for a chance at survival. It hopes that Qatar will help it overcome its crisis, or at least alleviate some of the burden.

Many European countries have gone down a similar path with Qatar. This raises questions regarding the relations between Europe and Qatar, and about how this small Gulf state has become such an important player among major countries.

Qatar invests billions of dollars a year in Europe, including millions in the real estate, hotel, sports and media sectors. This small country — with an area no larger than 12,000 square kilometers and 500,000 people — has become one of the world’s biggest investors, and invests particularly heavily in Europe. Qatar’s relationship with France however, is one exception. There, it maintains a "more private" strategy.

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