IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/taf/cdanxx/v41y2025i4p669-690.html

The Qatari path to defence localisation: strategic imperatives and the Turkish partnership

Author

Listed:
  • Özgür Pala

Abstract

The 2017 blockade on Qatar profoundly reshaped its security strategy, motivating a shift from soft power and arms procurement to indigenous defence industry development. This article explores how Qatar attempts to localise its defence industry despite limitations. Drawing on secondary literature, defence industry data and expert interviews, this study situates Qatar’s defence indigenisation within the small-state security and politics and economics of defence industrialisation literature. The paper argues that rather than seeking full defence autarky, Qatar needs to collaborate with companies from first – or second-tier countries, particularly Turkey. The paper suggests a hybrid localisation model with strategic commitment to dual-use innovation and niche sector development in conjunction with Turkey and argues for an integration of civilian and military R&D through a Military–Civil Fusion (MCF) approach. The study contributes to Gulf security literature by offering a theory-informed explanation of how small states seek strategic autonomy through defence-industrial partnerships.

Suggested Citation

  • Özgür Pala, 2025. "The Qatari path to defence localisation: strategic imperatives and the Turkish partnership," Defense & Security Analysis, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 41(4), pages 669-690, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:cdanxx:v:41:y:2025:i:4:p:669-690
    DOI: 10.1080/14751798.2025.2548653
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1080/14751798.2025.2548653
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1080/14751798.2025.2548653?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:taf:cdanxx:v:41:y:2025:i:4:p:669-690. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Chris Longhurst (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.tandfonline.com/CDAN20 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.