While Qatar may have been a small state, the traditional view was that smaller and weaker states left complex regional politics in the hands of more significant nations such as the KSA and Iran. Countries such as Egypt and Algeria also had a bigger presence in the North African region. Under this framework, Qatar would typically be pressured to join its neighbours, and in this case, that would include the GCC and mainly the KSA. Yet, when it came to the Arab Spring and Qatar’s decisions, it went against the standard practice in an attempt to get more involved in politics. This shift was significant because Qatar went from a position of neutrality to actively aligning with popular movements. This shift carries significant implications as Qatar needed to provide justifications for its foreign policy decisions to its domestic audience and the international community. As a result, Hamad bin Khalifa introduced the term “Kaabat al-Madhyum” in November 2012, during the second year of the Arab Spring. It was at this point that Qatar was announcing to the world that it was different from its neighbours and that it was a country that was focused on supporting people against oppressive governments.