I was wrong six months ago when I hinted that Moammar Gaddafi was quickly on his way out six months ago, but despite the conflicting reports, the brotherly leader’s demise is a matter of days or only hours.

The road ahead for Libya will be a long one, and we do not know if Libya will be another Egypt or Iraq.  The most accurate assessment is that we will see a new Libya, with the hopes and struggles analogous to what other countries endure in the years after expelling a ruthless dictator.

But the fall of Gaddafi also comes with the rise of Qatar.  The tiny Gulf country has already built its influence with its success in bidding for the 2022 World Cup, and its support of the Libyan rebels despite internal and external pressure will see its stature only rise.  Whether or not Qatar’s support of NATO’s campaign against Gaddafi was token or crucial is despite the point.  With Qatar’s keen management of its resources and finances, and its steps towards sustainability in one of the most unsustainable places on earth, look for Qatar to gain a global status far outsized of the tiny section of the Gulf that it owns.

About The Author

Leon Kaye

Leon Kaye is the founder and editor of GreenGoPost.com and its advisory division, GGP Media. Contact him to discuss how he can work with your organization or event. His focus is making the business case for sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR). He writes for San Francisco-based Triple Pundit, Inhabitat and now The Guardian, for which he writes about corporate responsibility, water, and green building. He has also written for AIA's Architect Magazine. Leon works out of Fresno and Silicon Valley, California, and when he has free time, he enjoys hiking, gardening, cooking, weightlifting, and planning his next trip to one of the 60 countries he has visited. He has an MBA from USC's Marshall School of Business and is also a proud graduate of the University of Maryland-Baltimore County (UMBC) and Cal State-Fresno.