Matt Bevan

Some have withdrawn ambassadors from Qatar in protest.

But today, even the toughest Arab leaders have to deal with Al Jazeera because it speaks to the people.

So Qatar has become the region's US military base and centre of information.

But for Hamad, that wasn't enough.

fly to over 80 destinations, onboard one of the world's youngest fleets.

Qatar Airways, world's five-star airline.

He dumped investment into Qatar Airways, hoping to turn the Qatari capital Doha into a global business travel hub.

Halfway to anywhere, with plenty of time to spare.

The Qatar Airways Premium Terminal in Doha.

Five-star service for first and business class passengers.

And he spent money trying to get people to actually leave the airport and see the country instead of just flying through.

Hamad basically bought the FIFA World Cup only 50 years after football was first seen in his country.

Then he spent more money on it than every other World Cup in history combined.

But hosting the World Cup wasn't just about football.

Qatar wanted to be the place where the world gathered, where people with nothing in common could come together.

During the tournament, Iran played against its greatest enemy, the United States.

We talked in last week's episode about how important it is to build trust and credibility when you're trying to negotiate with your enemies.

Qatar decided to try and be the place where that trust was brokered, which meant that everyone was welcome.

Qatar welcomed not only the US military to its territory,

But the Taliban... We are prepared to engage the Taliban through a negotiations office in Doha.