Kristian Coates Ulrichsen provides a full examination of Qatar's startling rise to regional and international prominence and describes how its distinct policy stance toward the Arab Spring emerged. In only a decade, Qatari policy-makers - led by the Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani and the Prime Minister, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim Al-Thani - catapulted Qatar from a sleepy backwater to a regional power with truly international reach.