Jassim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani (; born 25 August 1978) is the former

heir apparent An heir apparent is a person who is first in the order of succession and cannot be displaced from inheriting by the birth of another person. A person who is first in the current order of succession but could be displaced by the birth of a more e ...

Qatar Qatar, officially the State of Qatar, is a country in West Asia. It occupies the Geography of Qatar, Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it shares Qatar–Saudi Arabia border, its sole land b ...

. He is the third son of the former

Emir of Qatar The Emir of the State of Qatar () is the monarch and head of state of the country. The emir is also the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces and guarantor of the Constitution. The emir holds the most powerful position in the country, and has a ...

, Sheikh

Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani (; born 1 January 1952) is a member of Qatar's royal family, the House of Thani. He was the ruling Emir of Qatar from 1995 until 2013 when he abdicated the throne, handing power to his fourth son Tamim bin Hamad Al ...

, and the first child of the Emir with his second wife, Sheikha

Moza bint Nasser Al-Missned Moza bint Nasser Al-Missned (; born 8 August 1959) is one of the three consorts of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the former emir of Qatar. She is the mother of the current emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. She is the co-founder and ch ...

. He abdicated his position as crown prince in 2003, in favour of his younger brother Tamim, citing being uninterested in becoming Emir.

Early life and education

Sheikh Jassim is the third son of the former emir of Qatar,

. His mother is

, second wife of his father. He was educated at the

Royal Military Academy Sandhurst The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS or RMA Sandhurst), commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is one of several military academy, military academies of the United Kingdom and is the British Army's initial Commissioned officer, officer train ...

.He attended

Milton Abbey School Milton Abbey School is a private school for day and boarding pupils in the village of Milton Abbas, near Blandford Forum in Dorset, in South West England. It has 224 pupils , in five houses: Athelstan, Damer, Hambro, Hodgkinson and Tregonwell. ...

, a boarding independent school in the village of

Milton Abbas Milton Abbas is a village and civil parish in Dorset, England, lying around southwest of Blandford Forum. In the 2011 Census the civil parish had a population of 755. This planned community was built after the old Town was demolished in the 1 ...

, near the market town of

Blandford Forum Blandford Forum ( ) is a market town in Dorset, England, on the River Stour, Dorset, River Stour, north-west of Poole. It had a population of 10,355 at the United Kingdom 2021 census, 2021 census. The town is notable for its Georgian archit ...

Dorset Dorset ( ; Archaism, archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north and the north-east, Hampshire to the east, t ...

South West England South West England, or the South West of England, is one of the nine official regions of England, regions of England in the United Kingdom. Additionally, it is one of four regions that altogether make up Southern England. South West England con ...

Career

After graduation Sheikh Jassim was commissioned as 2nd-lieutenant in the Qatari armed forces on 9 August 1996. He was appointed

of Qatar on 23 October 1996. He replaced Mishaal bin Hamad Al Thani, his older half-brother, in the post. Jassim renounced his rights in favour of his younger brother Sheikh Tamim on 5 August 2003. According to Qatar News Agency, Jassim sent a letter to his father saying, "The time is appropriate to step down and prepare for a successor". In the letter, Jassim stated, "I did not want, as I have told you from the start, to be appointed as crown prince", and noted he had only accepted the position in October 1996 because of "sensitive circumstances". Jassim was the personal representative of the former emir. Sheikh Jassim is also honorary president of the Qatar National Cancer Society (QNCS) since 1997. Furthermore, he has been chair of the high committee for coordination and follow up since 1999, chair of the supreme council for the environment and natural resources since 2000. He is also patron of

Aspire Academy Aspire Academy () is a sports academy based in the Aspire Zone in Qatar, founded in 2004 with the goal to scout and help develop Qatari athletes, whilst also providing them with secondary school education. History Aspire Academy was establis ...

since 2003. He is a member of the Board of Trustees at

Qatar Foundation The Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development () is a state-led non-profit organization in Qatar, founded in 1995 by then-List of emirs of Qatar, emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and his second wife Moza bint Nasser Al-Miss ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Jassim Bin Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani 1978 births Living people Jassim Hamad Khalifa Graduates of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst Heirs apparent who never acceded Grand Cordons of the Order of Merit (Lebanon) Sons of monarchs Children of prime ministers of Qatar