Over the course of the century leading to independence in 1971, Qatar tentatively emerged as a unique entity unto itself. However, the stark reality was that it largely remained a political appendage of the Saudi Kingdom. Independence or not, Qatar began life as a nation state with—according to a former diplomat posted to the region—“little international presence nor relevance on the international stage, a posture which remained the case until the mid-1990s”. Qatar’s foreign policy actions during the reign of its first ruler, Emir Khalifa (1972–1995), were benign and geared towards bandwagoning with Riyadh. While Khalifa was satisfied to remain in the Saudi shadow, his aspirational son and heir apparent Hamad did not agree, and from the mid-1990s onwards Doha began to drift away from Riyadh in its quest to political emancipate itself from the Al Saud.