You can call me Henry

FEW sovereigns have shown more diplomatic ambition this year than the emir of Qatar. Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani has brokered a peace deal between the Palestinian factions, Hamas and Fatah, acted as linchpin in America's negotiations with the Taliban, spurred Libya's resurrection and led the international charge to oust the Syrian regime.

No wonder the 60-year-old is dubbed the “Arab Kissinger”. He says he strives to be friendly with everyone. A thick wallet seems to help, though his pragmatism at times offends allies. American Congressmen say he is a friend on Monday and sends money to extremists on Tuesday.

With Qatar holding the rotating presidency of the Arab League, the emir has played a leading role in the region's response to the Arab spring, spurring the once toothless body into action. He was the first Arab leader to shut an embassy in Damascus, the Syrian capital, and called on the president to go. Controversially, he raised the possibility of intervening militarily in Syria.

The emir, who attended Britain's Sandhurst military academy and ousted his own father in 1995, armed Libyan rebels last year. He is determined to transform Doha, his capital, and will host a Taliban liaison office as well as the 2022 football world cup. Great gas wealth has allowed the rotund leader of the al-Thani dynasty, Qatar's rulers for two centuries, to amass extraordinary clout.