Hamad bin Khalifa became the dominant voice in Qatari politics as the 1980s developed, Saudi Arabia's relations worsened. The changing nature of their relations, for example, related to the State of Qatar, which in 1988 diplomatically admitted the Soviet Union and China without waiting for Saudi Arabia to do so first (Krahl, 2013), as expected. Furthermore, after the plan's initial approval, Saudi Arabia prevented 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 Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay But it was the invasion of Kuwait that proved to be a turning point in relations between Saudi Arabia and Qatar. After all, this was an example of another small, energy-rich, but incapable of defending itself (Kuwait) being invaded by a larger neighbor (Iraq) amid broader difficulties in bilateral relations. Black Swan events can clearly occur. Qatar has been unable to avoid seeing the invasion as a warning, but the kingdom's failure to request Western military intervention in the face of the invasion was not only embarrassing, but exploded any notion that the Saudi Arabia provided Qatar with a minimum of protection. they joined with Hamad bin Khalifa in an attempt to evoke the practice of the country's historic foreign policy in search of a central alliance to rely on. Operations Desert Shield and Storm have profoundly changed the international context in the Persian Gulf region. Instead of viewing America as a dubious ally (especially because of its close ties to Israel), it has become an indispensable ally and tacit guarantor of security. So Qatar began to keep pace with the United States, even building a $1 billion air base to encourage greater U.S. cooperation. In 1992, the two countries had signed various defense agreements for joint military exercises and basing agreements (Blanchard, 2007). . Not before, because deadly skirmishes that erupted at the Saudi-Saudi border in late 1992 signaled a deterioration in bilateral relations. Hamad bin Khalifa later discussed these issues, noting that at the time Qatar was “not prepared to deal with the burden” that Saudi Arabia was facing (Salman, 2009). From that point on, Saudi Arabia's relations only deteriorated, culminating in Saudi Arabia supporting one, possibly two failed coups to re-establish Khalifa bin Hamad after a bloodless 1995 coup installed by Hamad bin Khalifa (Weaver, 2003). mind: this is just an example. Get a custom paper 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 key thread of coherence in Qatar's foreign policy since the end of the 18th century, he followed also new and innovative strategies and policies. Indeed, Hamad bin Khalifa revolutionized many aspects of the State of Qatar and re-established the entire state internationally..