Today, most states attempt to create road maps toward a better future. These plans revolve around new avenues of economic growth, peace, stability, and sustainability, as the world nears the mid-point of the 21st century. The state of Qatar is not an exception from the general, as the country’s rulers have developed a new, future-centered plan (El-Masri et al., 2020). It relies on the year 2030 as the reference date, undertaking a series of major improvements across various spheres (General Secretariat for Development Planning, 2008). More specifically, the 2030 strategy focuses on the economic growth of Qatar, its market competitiveness, and overall progress. Among these points, the document emphasizes the importance of Qatar’s ability to sustain its development (Q Life, 2017). The purpose of it is to provide a higher standard of living for future generations. However, the diverse scope of the objectives does not comprise the idea of becoming a resilient society. Therefore, a question arises of whether this matter should be included in the strategic vision agenda within the framework of the 2030 document.
To this end, the current proposal outlines the primary avenues of the envisaged research. First of all, the primary research question is to be formulated as follows: should the concept of a resilient society be articulated within the framework of Qatar National Vision 2030? This topic appears highly relevant due to its importance for today’s global community. Keck and Sakdapolrak (2013) write that the concept of the resilience of society has become an important element of the global discourse in the 21st century. Thus, leading experts and researchers attempt to provide its comprehensive definition, while investigating the scope of its applicability (Saja et al., 2018). In a general understanding, resilience indicates society’s ability to withstand challenges and recover from emergencies through unity, strength, and adaptability (Saja et al., 2019). Fernandez-Prados et al. (2020) also highlight the role of optimism, as a part of social capital, which helps society unite around an emergency and confront it in a synchronized manner. The combination of these factors accounts for the image of a resilient society of the 21st century capable of withstanding the emerging challenges of a new age.
In Qatar’s National Vision, the concept of social resilience is not mentioned directly, even though society, as a whole, is referenced throughout the document. The proposed research aims to analyze whether this situation represents a flaw in the strategic framework in question or a norm that should not entail major repercussions in the mid-to-long term. This study is crucial in the current environment, as the idea of resilient societies becomes prevalent in contemporary research theory and practice (Baadood, 2017). It is envisaged that the analysis of the concept’s role in sustainable state-building will provide insights into the optimal development patterns of the state of Qatar for the future. Ultimately, the information is likely to become useful for the policy-makers who shape the new age of Qatar as a self-sustained, advanced country.
To provide a fitting answer to the specified research question, the following project objectives have been outlined:
- Conduct an assessment of the Qatar National Vision 2030 document in terms of the key points;
- Categorize the content of the Qatar National Vision 2020 document following the corresponding sphere of state-building;
- Investigate the current body of literature concerning the concept of social resilience and its role in sustained state-building;
- Determine and categorize the key features of social reliance;
- Compare the contents of the Qatar National Vision 2030 document with the synthesized theoretical framework;
- Complete a population survey to evaluate the residents’ perspective on the importance of social resilience in the future of Qatar;
- Evaluate the findings and provide guidelines for sustained state-building in Qatar.
This way, the envisaged study will commence with a thorough investigation of the existing Qatar National Vision document. Its contents will be analyzed and categorized following the key topics and themes that reflect the vision of the national government concerning the future of the country. Next, a rigorous review of the literature will be conducted to examine the current state of research within the contemporary body of knowledge. These findings will be synthesized into a categorized theoretical framework that outlines the key features of social resilience in the 21st century. The subsequent step implies a comparison of this framework with the key themes of the National Vision document. It is possible that, although social resilience is not listed directly, its features are still present. As such, the analysis section aims at alleviating this uncertainty. Finally, the outcomes of the research will be discussed, providing relevant concluding guidelines for sustained state-building in Qatar.
Reference List
Baabood, A. (2017) Qatar’s resilience strategy and implications for state–society relations. Web.
El-Masri, M. et al. (2019) ‘Positive sentiments as coping mechanisms and path to resilience: the case of Qatar blockade’, Information, Communication & Society, 24(13), 1835-1853.
Fernandez-Prados, J. S. et al. (2020) ‘Factors explaining social resilience against COVID-19: the case of Spain’, European Societies, 23(1), pp. 111–121.
General Secretariat for Development Planning. (2008) Qatar National Vision 2030.
Keck, M. and Sakdapolrak, P. (2013) ‘What is social resilience? Lessons learned and ways forward’, Erdkunde, 67(1), pp. 5–18.
Q Life. (2017) Qatar National Vision 2030.
Saja, A. M. A. et al. (2018) ‘An inclusive and adaptive framework for measuring social resilience to disasters’, International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 28(1), pp. 862–873.
Saja, A. M. A. et al. (2019) ‘A critical review of social resilience assessment frameworks in disaster management’, International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 35(1), 101096.