By Giorgio CAFIERO, Kristian ULRICHSEN
Doha's careful balancing act has been threatened by severe security and economic challenges.
As a small but extremely gas-rich country surrounded by larger neighbors with a history of tense rivalries, Qatar has long depended on stability and careful geopolitical balancing to secure its prosperity. Yet in the past ten months, and especially since February 28, 2026, Doha has been drawn unwillingly into regional conflagration, facing missile and drone attacks that have severely disrupted its aviation, banking, shipping, tourism, and other critical sectors, as well as an Israeli strike in September 2025 on a busy residential neighborhood.