This past week, Qatar Finance Minister Ali Sherif al-Emadi was arrested over embezzlement allegations and stripped of his duties as Minister. Emadi is also on the board of the Qatar Investment Authority, and sits on the board of directors for the Qatar National Bank. It’s reported that he is only under investigation for embezzlement for his role as Finance Minister. Ironically enough, Emadi was recently rated as the top Financial Minister of 2020, as he was responsible for the minimized damage done by coronavirus on the Qatar Economy.
Qatar is one of the wealthiest countries in its region, and has many trade alliances and ties with other countries. To have their Finance Minister, as well as someone so involved with their Investments and Banking, be arrested for embezzlement, is something that is very damaging to their reputation and image for future and current trade relations and global status. I will be interested to see how they recover from this scandal, and if this situation will have any effect on their current or future financial relations or status in the global arena.
The possible conflict following this scandal is easy to analyze on a personal and interstate level. On a personal level, Ali Sherif al-Emadi’s actions directly affected the image of Qatar and their status as a respectable and reputable trade partner. On an interstate level, Qatar’s future and current allies are hesitant to trade and be involved financially with the country due to their reputation and past actions.