Seeds of change: Comparing state-religion relations in Qatar and Saudi Arabia

Qatar presents an interesting case study on the nature of state-religion relations as despite being of the same Wahhabi and Hanbali branch as neighboring Saudi Arabia, there are stark differences in the role of religion at a political level within the two countries. The main reason for such differences will be shown through field research to be the lack of an indigenous Ulama class within Qatar. Among other things Baskan and Wright argues that at a political level, Qatar has a secular character more comparable to Turkey than Saudi Arabia.