In Qatar’s Nation Branding and Soft Power: Exploring the Effects on National Identity and International Stance, Nawaf Al-Tamimi, Azzam Amin, and Nourollah Zarrinabadi deliver a structured and policy-relevant study of how the small Gulf state has cultivated influence well beyond its size. Framed through the lens of soft power and nation branding, the authors show how Qatar’s media footprint, humanitarian diplomacy, and cultural capital have been instrumental in shaping not only its global image but also its domestic resilience, especially during the 2017–2021 blockade imposed by Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain.

The book’s central claim is that Qatar’s ability to absorb the political and economic shocks of the blockade stemmed not merely from material wealth, but from a deliberately constructed soft power ecosystem. Through investments in education, humanitarian relief, and symbolic diplomacy — such as winning the bid to host the 2022 Fifa World Cup — Qatar embedded itself in global networks that buffered it against regional isolation. The authors conceptualise this as a “shield of smart power” — a blend of soft and reputational assets that enhanced Qatar’s ability to remain diplomatically agile while under siege.

The analytical backbone of the book, which sets the tone for the rest of it, offers a typology of Qatar’s “profiles” — political, humanitarian, economic, media, civil society, touristic, and sports. This is perhaps the book’s most original contribution: A taxonomy of how disparate efforts coalesce into a coherent branding architecture. These include the use of Qatar Airways as a global symbol of modernity and mobility, the activation of civil society groups for humanitarian outreach, and the cultivation of cultural capital through museums and international education hubs.

Among the most insightful is the discussion of Al-Jazeera, which the authors rightly place at the core of Qatar’s media profile. Far from being a neutral information platform, the news network functions as a soft power instrument, enabling Doha to set the agenda on regional issues and maintain visibility in global political discourse. Its role during the Arab Spring, and its capacity to elevate alternative perspectives, makes Al-Jazeera both a prized asset in Qatar’s public diplomacy as well as persistent irritant to some of its Gulf neighbours. The authors describe it as both a “bargaining chip” and a “defensive shield”, an apt characterisation that reflects its centrality to the state’s reputational strategy.

Also compelling is the account of Qatar’s domestic branding. The authors detail how the blockade catalysed a narrative of national unity, with an artist’s portrait of Emir Tamim bin Hamad going viral and becoming a unifying symbol across social media and the urban space. The mobilisation of patriotic iconography during this period is convincingly analysed as both a morale-boosting device and a projection of internal cohesion to external audiences.

Where the book is less successful, however, is in interrogating the regional reception of Qatar’s nation brand. While it documents how Qatar projected influence globally, it offers only cursory engagement with how these efforts were perceived — often negatively — within the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). The blockading states saw Qatar’s support for Islamist movements, open-door diplomacy, and robust media apparatus not as neutral outreach, but as ideological adventurism. The same infrastructure that bolstered Qatar’s branding, especially Al-Jazeera, was cited by its neighbours as justification for the blockade. The book touches on this, but the analysis remains largely sympathetic to Qatar, characterising such opposition as “demonisation propaganda”.

Similarly, while Qatar’s role as a mediator, which extends from Lebanon to the Horn of Africa, is extensively discussed, the book presents these efforts as unalloyed successes. While the authors show how mediation has allowed Doha to amplify its diplomatic footprint far beyond its geographic size, they do not explore failures or criticisms of these efforts, nor do they examine the long-term sustainability of Qatar’s mediation gains.

The omission is notable given the growing body of scholarship and policy commentary that points to the strategic ambiguity embedded in Qatar’s balancing act: Hosting US military forces while engaging groups like Hamas and the Taliban; cultivating ties with both Iran and the West; or promoting liberal education alongside conservative religious charities. These tensions raise legitimate questions about the coherence of the national brand Qatar seeks to promote, and whether its projection of neutrality is persuasive to regional sceptics. Indeed, these tensions led Donald Trump, during his first term, to describe Qatar as a “funder of terrorism” at the start of the 2017 blockade. Its subsequent rehabilitation as a Major Non-Nato Ally in 2022 reveals how the tiny state’s efforts remain vulnerable to the whims of bigger powers.

The book also offers little reflection on internal dissent or debate within country regarding the risks of its balancing act. The portrayal of nation branding as an elite-driven, universally-accepted project may reflect the political context in which the authors are writing, but it also limits the analytical depth of their conclusions.

That said, the book delivers on its aim to “provide explanations for the success of Qatar in absorbing the ‘shock and awe” of the blockade. The framing is one of strategic admiration: Qatar as a vulnerable state that navigated adversity through reputational leverage, institutional capacity, and elite foresight.

Questions remain about whether Qatar’s brand can effectively reconcile its inherent contradictions. The narrative occasionally verges on institutional reverence, presenting a selective perspective aligned with Qatar’s carefully curated image-making — bordering on academic Stockholm Syndrome, where proximity to official accounts suppresses critical scrutiny.

While the book outlines the framework of Qatar’s influence, it leaves readers to grapple with the complex politics of perception, where soft power risks unravelling under closer scrutiny. Although useful as a primer, the book’s limited critical balance results in a selective perspective. Serious followers of Gulf dynamics will need to complement this work with more independent analyses to fully understand the strategic tensions embedded within Qatar’s carefully crafted image.

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