Overview

• Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani announced a referendum to decide on discontinuing legislative elections for the Shura Council.
• The 2021 elections, the first of their kind in Qatar, led to tribal tensions and protests over electoral law exclusions.
• The Shura Council can draft laws and approve budgets but lacks authority over defense, security, and economic policies.
• The referendum aims to address concerns about identity-based competition and its impact on Qatari social norms and traditions.
• Qatar's move reflects a broader regional trend of rolling back democratic experiments in Gulf states post-Arab Spring.