Qatar, despite its rapid development and modernization, is still a tribal society at its core, at least when all the expats, who represent 88% of the population, are discounted for and the power structure of the country is analyzed. The following report delves into the most powerful families/tribes that are shaping Qatar both from political as well as economic points of view.

I have worked, as they say, both sides of the fence – as a journalist and editor, and as an in-house communications person handling PR and media relations. At my time doing the latter, the organization I worked for (Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar) was featured prominently by media – in Qatar and the region – on a regular basis. I was always asked how VCUQatar used to get so much coverage in the media. First and foremost it was because...