Adhocracy in Action: Gulf Humanitarian Interventions in Lebanon

In recent years, Lebanon has faced several complex crises, including the Syrian refugee crisis, the 2020 Beirut explosion and the current economic meltdown. Against this backdrop, the humanitarian model of foreign aid promoted by Gulf organisations from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait, arguably amounts to an ‘adhocracy’ that has enabled them to promptly adapt to a changing humanitarian context while overcoming obstacles stemming from the political deadlock. However, since 2021, their foreign aid has been increasingly reliant on their diplomatic priorities and political agenda relating to Lebanon. An analysis based on a combination of neoclassical realist and constructivist perspectives highlights that a constellation of international opportunities, filtered through domestic political motives and constraints, have shaped Gulf states’ aid policies.
Keywords: Gulf states; humanitarianism; Lebanon; foreign aid; adhocracy