Explainer | Qatar is the key player in post-US Afghanistan. Can it be a bridge from the Taliban to the world?

Until recently the tiny, energy-rich nation was blockaded by its neighbours for its alleged support of terrorists. Now it’s playing a key role in evacuating Afghans and may be the world’s best hope of influencing the Taliban

The emirate may suddenly be in the news, but it has been eyeing a role as a global mediator for over 25 years. Experts say its approach is to become as useful as possible to key countries, particularly the United States

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US Air Force service members prepare to board evacuees onto a C-17 Globemaster lll at Al-Udeid Air Base, Qatar. Qatar played an out-size role in US efforts to evacuate tens of thousands of people from Afghanistan. Photo: AP

Middle East Institute

Published: 7:00pm, 31 Aug 2021Updated: 3:31pm, 8 Sep 2021

Qatar has played a central role in the evacuation of Afghans after the Taliban takeover.

An estimated 40 per cent of the more than 110,000 evacuees flown out from Kabul by the United States and its allies over the past few weeks have passed through Qatar’s Al-Udeid airbase before flying on to third countries, including Germany.

Qatar itself airlifted 1,500 people on the request of international organisations and secured safe passage to the airport for 3,000 people, with the Qatari ambassador personally escorting Americans and others to safety through the streets of Kabul, prompting several American senators to write to the Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad, on August 27, to thank him.

Other actions for which the emirate has won praise include building an emergency field hospital, shelters and washrooms, distributing tens of thousands of meals a day and providing planes from the national carrier Qatar Airways to transport evacuees.

Meanwhile the US has ended its diplomatic presence in Kabul and moved its mission to Doha.

All in all it’s been a massive effort from the tiny emirate. Qatar, which borders Saudi Arabia, is roughly the size of Los Angeles County and has a population of just 300,000 citizens (and a foreign workforce of about 2 million). Yet the energy-rich nation has long harboured big ambitions as a mediator on the global stage.