Hamad bin Khalifa became the dominant voice in Qatari politics as the 1980s developed, Saudi Arabia's relations deteriorated. The changing nature of their relations, for example, referred to the State of Qatar, which diplomatically admitted the Soviet Union and China in 1988 without waiting for Saudi Arabia to do so first (Krahl, 2013), as foreseen. Additionally, after initial approval of the plan, Saudi Arabia blocked the country's attempts to build a regional gas pipeline (Wright & Krane, 2014). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay But it was the invasion of Kuwait that proved to be a turning point in Saudi-Qatar relations. This was, after all, another small, energy-rich country unable to defend itself (Kuwait), invaded by a larger neighbor (Iraq) amid wider difficulties in bilateral relations. Black Swan events can clearly happen. Qatar could not avoid viewing the invasion as a warning, but the kingdom's failure to call for Western military intervention in the face of the invasion was not only embarrassing, but any notion that Saudi Arabia would provide in Qatar a remnant of protection exploded. teamed up with Hamad bin Khalifa in an attempt to evoke the country's historic foreign policy practice in the search for a central alliance to build upon. Operations Desert Shield and Storm profoundly changed the international context in the Persian Gulf region. Instead of seeing America as a dubious ally (largely because of Israel's close ties), it has become an indispensable ally and tacit guarantor of security. So Qatar began to keep pace with the United States, including building a billion-dollar air base to encourage greater American cooperation. By 1992, the two countries had signed various defense agreements providing for joint military exercises and basing arrangements (Blanchard, 2007). . Not sooner, because the deadly skirmishes which broke out at the end of 1992 on the Saudi-Saudi border signaled a deterioration in bilateral relations. Hamad bin Khalifa later addressed these issues, noting that at the time, Qatar was “not prepared to face the burden” faced by Saudi Arabia (Salman, 2009). From this point on, Saudi Arabia's relations only deteriorated, culminating in Saudi support for one, perhaps two, failed coups to reinstate Khalifa bin Hamad after a coup. bloodless state in 1995 organized by Hamad bin Khalifa (Weaver, 2003). mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Although Hamad bin Khalifa's main foreign policy argument of establishing Qatar's security on a central alliance has been a fundamental thread of consistency in Qatar's foreign policy since the late 18th century , it also followed new and innovative strategies and policies. Indeed, Hamad bin Khalifa revolutionized many aspects of the State of Qatar and re-established the entire state on an international level..