How Qatar is Trying to Become the Switzerland of the Middle East 

A couple of points: 1) Nowhere in this video did we suggest that Qatar is, in fact, diplomatically neutral. The video is about what they're aspiring to be and how they're going about that. 2) A substantial portion of the video is devoted to discussing how true "neutrality" is almost impossible in diplomatic contexts. 3) When discussing "neutrality" in this video, we phrase it as (verbatim) "an interpretation or neutrality" or "their perception of neutrality." We never characterize it as our or an outside observer's perception of neutrality. 4) When discussing Al Jazeera's reputation, we were careful to phrase it in a comparative manner. They are *more* trustworthy than most media outlets in the Middle East, largely since most media outlets in the region are state-controlled, whereas Al Jazeera is state-owned with only indirect state influence. 5) While I understand critique about not discussing the Kafala system, we chose not to discuss it since it is largely irrelevant to the topic of the country's diplomatic strategy and well-known considering it was the core critique of FIFA's decision to allow Qatar to host the World Cup. I understand why some might consider this an omission regardless, but I wanted to clarify to assure that it has nothing to do with avoiding critique of Qatar and its human rights violations (in fact, we've discussed this very topic in other videos.)

Only difference is Switzerland ACTUALLY pays its foreign workers

3:49 “rain here is measured in millimeters” Sam rain everywhere is measured in millimetres

"The art of good business is being a good middleman."

The comment section is certainly good for Wendovers engagement figures.

One doesn't _try_ to become neutral like Switzerland. Switzerland's neutrality is achieved through the subtle art of _not trying._ In the mid east it is Oman who is like Switzerland. Oman doesn't really try to do anything, but is quite happy to act as a neutral meeting ground for others. Qatar has actively backed sides in various wars, like in Libya. Although it does seem to be turning away from this strategy as these sorts of wars seldom have outright winners.

Hard not to be wealthy when you have millions of indentured servants as "workers"

I would classify Qatar as diplomatic rather than neutral. Qatar does not officially recognize Israel, yet it recognizes the Taliban in Afghanistan.

“that they could brush shoulders in the supermarket is bazarre” I see what you did there

Neutral is a bit of a strong word… they clearly have a certain propensity towards certain actors…

Switzerland is like, I don't want to deal with anyone. Qatar, is the opposite.

I do understand your intention with the comparison to Switzerland is to show that Qatar wants to be a neutral powerhouse, however Switzerland's neutrality is vastly different. Ignoring the fact that Swiss neutrality is currently changing because of the war un Ukraine, Siwtzerland was always neutral in the sense that they wanted to be completely left out of anything and only handle the money of everyone. They never really got into international diplomacy, and for example they would never alloe a foreign military base or HQ of a terrorist organisation in their country.

Having money is more useful than having morals.

More Singapore than Switzerland, in my opinion.

I find the dynamics and the relationships within the Middle East so interesting. This was an interesting topic, thank you.

Minor correction: 3:55, 74mm equals 7.4cm. Not less than a cm

I know some others have mentioned that already but... Rain EVERYWHERE is measured in millimetres. That's just the internal standard, as 1 liter of water over an area of 1 square meter stands one millimeter deep. Or in other words: 1mm of precipitation = 1L/m² And 74mm is 7.4cm, which is more that 1cm, not less ( 3:55 )

I've struggled to focus on the information in the more recent videos because the background music is too distracting. I'm not sure that videos like these deserve suspenseful orchestral pieces, especially if it draws the audience away from the facts being presented.

This was a great vid, something I knew little about, yet interesting and important.

Maybe a better title "How Qatar is trying to become the Switzerland of the Middle East". Maybe Switzerland has some baggage I am not aware of but the current title seems far too friendly to a nation that has rampant slave labour and was recently in hot water for the Olympics they held. Odd choice of words Edit: Current baggage on the same level of Qatar is what I meant. Good call out on the nazi gold thing, slipped my mind

Your maths is off. 74mm = 7.4cm, well over 1cm.

What an insult to Switzerland

I mean the only 2 somewhat real simillarities between the two nations is their will* to serve as a place for discussion between other not so neutral nations. And secondly their wealth, tho it's debateable on how this wealth was achieved and how sustainable their respective economies are.

Some great insights sam my old mucker, never disappoints

13:51 How Bahrain airspace could cover Qatar's one and being above Qatar's EEZ? And how they can close the water ways to their ships, which are within Qatar's EEZ?

Hide and Seek in Qatar when?

Thanks, that was very informative. I did have some image about Qatar from various events, but never knew that it was of such large political importance for the region.

Trouble is, if you play both sides of the street you're gonna get hit by traffic both ways if something goes wrong.

Why do Americans say EYE-ran, instead of Iran?

Dude, having lived in the middle east for the past 10 years, hearing you say Qatar is neutral is like a punch in the stomach. Tell me this is ironic.

2:22 You didn't highlight the right side of the DMZ after the Dhekelia military base, or the Dhekelia military base which forms the border…

Really well presented !

10:05 is what you're all here for, the airplanes and airlines lmao

you are completely wrong it's Oman. i have been to both countries it is Oman

3:50 "...receives less than a centimeter of precipitation a year...", while in the table on screen it says 74 mm, which is more than 1 centimeter...

Publishing this video a week before Jet Lag Switzerland is released to Nebula? I see what you did there, Sam. 😊

That and the snow…

Awesome work team....top 3 best youtube channels ever😃

1:10 Well, seeing as it is in the middle east, it would be bazaar. Unless you are talking about a strange event, in witch case it would be a bizarre event taking place in a bazaar. In that part of the world a strange grocery store is a bizarre bazaar.

Great video.

Switzerland is a mountain fortress. Qatar could at most be the Ireland of Islam, but without Britain geographically bound to protecting it.

one correction: for Hamas, the alternative to basing their political HQ wasn't Gaza itself - it was more likely going to be Syria or even Iran. They would need a foreign location to operate in, and all other alternatives would have been much worse for the US than them being in Qatar.

Thanks!

You forgot to mention oman, which is an actually neutral and which doesn't (i think) maintain any US air force base

What happens when the gas runs out?

I had a flight transfer in Qatar and I wasn't able to message my family because Signal (the messaging app) was blocked. There's no way it can become a "neutral" state with that amount of censoring. (If you also are in the same situation as I was, Signal has an inbuilt censorship circumvention toggle in its settings which solved the problem for me.)

Great video

By far one my fav Wendover videos in recent times. Loved the graphics and the fact that you're dabbling a bit in geopolitics. Keep it up!

Money talks, loyalty walks

InB4 Comments turned off lol

Ohh there it is!! Who had the 10:03 bet on how long he will go before mentioning something plane related??

excellent touch using helvetica in the thumbnail

Although Qatar has a bad record with human rights abuses (unfortunately, like other countries in the Middle East), which I'm not disregarding, those issues are separate from its diplomacy, and it's a good thing Wendover Productions is objective enough to treat those issues separately on their own terms (which is very difficult). The truth is that providing a place for discussion and mediating dialogue and peaceful exchanges between different groups (so many of whom are highly militaristic) is still desperately needed and a good thing. They pursue their own version of neutrality (as stated in the video),and according to their own interests, but it may be the best cause for hope in helping to reduce conflict in the region. I don't believe saying "if you don't oppose them, you're supporting them" is a fair statement about neutrality, rather that statement is used by militaristic groups that don't like opposition (whether that's the current leaders of Saudi Arabia, the US or Israel). That said, it is definitely true that neutrality is always subjective and a very difficult line to walk. Due to that, neutrality is always biased by context and culture even before you get to politics, but just the attempt at neutrality and mediation is something that any country involved in a war-torn region should aspire to.

"Iran supports terrorist organizations." - Not a quote you'll hear from Wendover Productions.

This was a great piece, Sam! Hope to see more like this in the future!

I was supposed to fly to Qatar and then Saudi Arabia afterwards to host some training classes at my company's offices in either country the summer 2017. Had all the visas setup and everything. Then the embargo happened and that whole trip costing a couple thousand dollars was cancelled. Still haven't been since.

Switzerland is a Lawful Neutral whilst Qatar is Chaotic Neutral

With a bit more of slavery and worker abuse. What an insult to Switzerland this claim is.

honestly liked watching the videos more when they had captions, haven't seen a couple since y'all stopped doing that

Loved the video

At 19:25 you said Qatar brokered a deal “medication for Israeli hostages” which never actually made it to said hostages.

real life lore ahh title

Literally everything I've learned about the Middle East has come from this channel. Every news network either assumes I know everything already or says "the region has a complex history" and then makes zero effort to elaborate. So you know, I appreciate all the hard work you do!

Could be a Civ6 trade city state: broadcast stations, airports, stadiums and maritime oil improvements receive +1 to each of their bonus. +1 influence point for each city state you are suzerein of. Allows you to station aircraft in its borders. Tasks: send a trade route, eureka for oil Luxury good: pearls Strategic resource: oil Buildings: harbor, commercial hub Most if not all bonuses are late game, which together with coastal desert biom balances out its otherwise heavy bonuses.

I don't know Jack, this one looks suspicious.

I got caught in that June 2017 fiasco when flying back to the USA from Thailand and Japan. So many countries closed their airspace to Qatar Airways that the plane had to be routed far out of the way and the flight ended up being something like 21 or 23 hours. We weren’t allowed to have any of our electronic carry-on items either, so my Nintendo Switch (just launched) and laptop were out of reach in the checked luggage… which I **really** didn’t want to do after my New Nintendo 3DS XL was stolen from checked luggage on the ferry from Samui Island days earlier. :( Doha was obviously impressive though I never left the airport and knew full well that the airport and city were a Potemkin Village of sorts. The employees were nice tho’

Can you make a video of the Logistics of a Charity/Foundation/NGO etc?

3:55 That's well over a centimeter, that's in fact nearly 10 cm.

Refreshing to hear it pronounced “Kuh-tar”

Comparing Qatar with Switzerland, eh? That's like saying, a stable equilibrium and an unstable equilibrium are both the same. I get that both nations have a penchant for opaque practices frowned upon elsewhere and that they're pitting two adversaries against one another, while emerging as the sole victor. But, I don't really find the above practice quite sustainable in the long run. Sooner rather than later, the whole situation could blow up with the neutral turf turning itself into a battle turf.

19:22 FYI the medicine never reached the hostages

Maaaybe this one is too much of a stretch. But I'd like you to explain why Iberia, Spanish flagship airline, built the 'T4 Satellite' terminal in Madrid airport the way they built it. It's a terminal with no direct connection to the outside of the airport or any other terminal. It is an 'island' between the runways. I always thought that was a very special kind of airport terminal and I not know any other similar designs in the world.

To be a pacifist you need to be strong. If you're weak, you're not peaceful, you're harmless, and you will be preyed upon

Imagine being on the administative end of a terror organization with an office and everything. I always assumed that would be more of a work from home gig

Interesting view!

Really interesting video

Nice…never knew that Wendover is a subsidiary of Al Jazeera 😂😂😂

Ok, let's adress the comments because i swear, the amount of people calling this 'propaganda' or how it's 'appaling' for trying to compare Qatar with Switzerland it's just... Arg... First, because you don't like a nation or their policy doesn't mean you can insult those who make videos about them to hell and back. Second, Switzerland as well has had some very dark moments in which it has supported very unsavoury individual (Es: the NAZIS) so that's a nonfactor as well. And the video is saying how Qatar is seemingly trying to become the Switzerland FOR the middle east, not just trying to copy that country but rather it's neutrality. Tho, of course, they go about it in very different ways, given the different circumstances. For once, Switzerland has had a long history of offering mercenaries to europe plus it's placement means that it has always been relatively safe. Qatar is not like that at all. It is, as the video said, weak so, of of course they would seek out US protection, of course they would offer support to terrorists, of course they would support those who hunt them as well. Actually It seems that Switzerland and Qatar are doing the exact opposite in trying to achieve their 'Neutrality' tho, at the end, the results should be broadly the same. One stays neutral by not supporting ANYONE (tho that has recently changed because of the war in Ukraine) while the other stays neutral by supporting EVERYONE, including the US and actual terrorists. Everyone is free game here, it wouldn't be effective otherwise, no morality. Same for the section about the News Network, it stated that it offered a relatively Neutral, unbiased opinion on international matters. And I don't doubt it, RELATIVELY speaking. After all, when compared to other news outlets of the area, how does it stack? So while yes, it is not 'neutral' per se, it is much closer than the alternatives. And while the video does seem to depict Qatar in a weirdly positive note, that all goes to hell when you remember that "Ahh yes, they also support terrorists" so, I don't really think this reads as a sellout ad. Personally I think that the video is broadly correct, yes, it does gloss over some VERY important issues Qatar has (cough, modern slavery, cough) but it tries to explain it all in a very easy to digest manner which is appreciated.

13:00 GRUNDIG!!

Lol at the thought that Qatar has pushed PSG to the heights of Europe when they find new ways to get embarrassed on the continental stage

Did this guy just use "brushing against somebody in the supermarket as bizarre" as a pun for Middle Eastern markets being called bazaars??? Lmao.

Quatar is not neutral at all but very partial to Palestinians and Hamas.

Did you ever upload logistics of hajj? I can’t find it

Qatar is not the only key country in the Hamas and Israel negotiations, Egypt plays an important role too. And certainly, qatar was not the sole factor on the recent ceasefire brokered between isreal and hamas.

"Al Jazeera offers a more balanced, nuanced view."

Prodigal amounts. God I love that, thank you so much for the laugh.

What do you mean when you use the term "snowball" (when referring to US and Iran action)

>Al Jazeera >Balanced nuanced view

There's a significant lack of criticism in this video.

3:50 74 milimeters is 7.4 centimeters. 1 m = 10 dm = 100 cm = 1000 mm.

Also, i got a "visit Quatar" ad after this video...

Got to love the entire comment section being people rightfully criticising the system of modern day slavery that is Kafala!

Al Jazeera is not this neutral haven of a news source that this video tries to paint it as (there was ONE brief mention of how this only applies to issues not related to Qatar directly)... Skeptical on how truly accurate all this information actually is with the endless praise despite well known controversy and criticism of its government. Edit: Lots of other comments seem to suggest this video being paid by Qatar lol, just the complete one-sidedness of this entire video is something to consider and I can see how some have come to that conclusion.

‏‪0:05‬‏ as israli I nver excpted in my lifte to hai talk about country, and war!!

Bro why did you say that the rain in Qatar is measured in mm? That is literally the standard unit for precipitation measurement

Neutrality, except for breaking human rights...

If Qatar is neutral,then china is a democracy, US really cares about human life, uk never colonized anyone, India has the world's least population, ukraine is the most non-corrupt country, Earth is flat, Japan has no industrialization etc...etc...

8:40 prodigious not prodigal

At 1:21 is that the Belgian or Romania flag next to the Canadian one?

Between this video and the video on Saudi sports washing, I guess it's clear who's paying the Wendover bills these days