The jhappi-pappi on display two days back when Prime Minister Modi welcomed Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin-Hamad al-Thani, suggested the two had overcome the bad blood generated by the arrest and imprisonment of nine Indian ex-naval personnel.
Navdeep Suri, India’s former ambassador to the UAE and Egypt, acknowledges that “their release (Feb 2024) took a major irritant out of the way,” but he underscored that “does it suggest a kind of toning down of the use of various media (Al Jazeera) to highlight issues like Kashmir for instance … it’s too early to pronounce on that.”
Ambassador Suri was on The Gist, giving perspective on the Qatari Emir’s visit. In his view, while Qatar may be more mindful of the sensitivities of countries like India, it’s important to note that during the time of the previous Emir, Qatar had carved out a position for itself supporting democratic forces post the Arab spring.
The paradox here, is that neither the previous nor the current Emir tolerate any democracy at home, although they support anti-government movements in other countries. It explains the backing for the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, even when it was unpalatable for the Egyptian military establishment, the same for Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Backing such groups gave tiny Qatar (area 11,500 sq. km, pop 2.6 mn) the ability to punch above its weight, and give it leverage against bigger neighbours (Saudi Arabia). Qatar also took the shrewd decision many years ago to host the massive US military base at Al-Udeid, making it a key partner of Uncle Sam in the region.
What are the key takeaways of the Emir’s visit? The commitment of $10 billion along with an investment office, opens the door to vast possibilities provided the private sector is able to take advantage of it.
“It’s not a grant, it’s not a loan, the extent to which $10 billion can move quickly into projects, will be a function of the Indian economy’s ability to present projects that are profitable … the onus is really on us,” Suri said.
Tune in for more in this conversation with Navdeep Suri, former ambassador to the UAE and Egypt
