Qatar is a nation state which sees itself as an energy producer and a peacemaker, is progressive amongst its peers, has a multi-pronged outlook towards international engagement, all whilst remaining cognisant of its history. As will be discussed below, although Qatar’s transformative era commenced in the late-1990s, the groundwork for many of the initiatives and policy changes were undertaken whilst Khalifa was in power, yet the driving force behind these changes was invariably Hamad, who can be accredited with the commencement of Qatar’s successful pursuit of autonomy. Chapter 4 evaluates this ‘transformative era’ for Qatar and is divided into two parts. In introducing the foundations and background for this transformative era, Part One begins by evaluating the implications of the accession of Hamad as emir, and his relationship with the Saudis before and after Khalifa was defenestrated. This evaluation sheds light on Hamad’s suspicions and mistrust of the Saudis prior to the 1995 coup, and the enmity that festered in the years that followed. Following this Part One intentionally digresses back a few years and analyses Qatar’s foreign policy actions following Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait, its role in assisting the Saudi and American repulsion of Iraqi forces, and Qatar/Saudi relations in the aftermath of the conflict. The evaluation of this watershed moment in regional politics aids the understanding of Hamad’s shift in perception of the Saudis as a neighbouring guarantor of regional stability, and underscores not just the desire, but the necessity of broadening Qatar’s physical protection and security apparatus, and the need to be more autonomous from (or less dependent on) Saudi Arabia.