sheikh tamim bin hamad al thani

Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani (; born 3 June 1980) is Emir of Qatar, reigning since 2013.

Tamim is the fourth son of former emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, born to his second spouse, Moza bint Nassir. He became heir apparent in 2003 when his older brother Sheikh Jassim renounced his claim to the throne. He became emir when his father abdicated in his favour in 2013.

Early life and education

Tamim bin Hamad was born on 3 June 1980 in Doha, Qatar. He is the fourth son of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, and second son of Sheikha Moza bint Nasser Al-Missned, Hamad's second wife. Tamim was educated at the UK's Sherborne School ( International College) in Dorset, and at Harrow School, where he sat his A-Levels in 1997. He then attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, graduating in 1998.

Career

Sheikh Tamim was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Qatar Armed Forces upon graduation from Sandhurst. He became the heir apparent to the Qatari throne on 5 August 2003, when his elder brother Sheikh Jassim renounced his claim to the title. Since then he was groomed to take over rule, working in top security and economics posts. On 5 August 2003, he was appointed deputy commander-in-chief of Qatar's armed forces.

Sheikh Tamim promoted sport as part of Qatar's bid to raise its international profile. In 2005 he founded Oryx Qatar Sports Investments, which owns Paris Saint-Germain F.C. among other investments. In 2006, he chaired the organizing committee of the 15th Asian Games in Doha. Under his leadership, all member countries attended the event for the first time in its history. That year's '' Al Ahram'' voted Tamim "the best sport personality in the Arab world". Under his guidance, Qatar won the rights to host the 2014 FINA Swimming World Championships and the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Tamim is chairman of the National Olympic Committee. At the 113th session of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in February 2002, he was elected as a member of the IOC. He headed Doha's bid for the 2020 Olympics. The country hosted the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Qatar is estimated to have spent around $200 billion on infrastructure in preparation for the event.

The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) Evaluation Committee completed its tour to Doha in November 2020, and confirmed that the city will have much to offer for the Asian Games, and that they were satisfied with the prioritizing and support from Tamim. At the 39th General Assembly of the OCA, President Ahmed Al-Fahad Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah announced that Doha would host the 2030 Asian Games.

Sheikh Tamim heads the Qatar Investment Authority board of directors. Under his leadership, the fund has invested billions in British businesses. It owns large stakes in Barclays Bank, Sainsbury's, and Harrods. The fund also owns a 95% share of Europe's fourth tallest building, the Shard, a skyscraper in London.

Tamim has also held a number of other posts, including:
*Head of the Upper Council of the Environment and Natural Sanctuaries.
*Chairman of the Supreme Council for the Environment and Natural Reserves.
*Chairman of the Supreme Education Council.
*Chairman of the Supreme Council of Information and Communication Technology.
*Chairman of the board of directors of Public Works Authority (Ashghal) and the Urban Planning and Development Authority (UPDA).
*Chairman of the board of regents of Qatar University.
*Deputy chairman of the Ruling Family Council.
*Vice president of the Supreme Council for Economic Affairs and Investment.
*Deputy chairman of the High Committee for Coordination and Follow Up.
*Member of "Sports for All".

Reign

On 25 June 2013, Tamim's father, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, revealed to close relatives and aides that he planned to step down as the Emir of Qatar. Tamim then became the Emir of Qatar after his father handed over power in a televised speech. While the previous two Qatari rulers from the Al Thani family ascended to power in bloodless coups, Tamin was the first to ascend to power via an abdication. According to ''The Economist'', of his siblings who had previously contended for the throne, "One played too much, the other prayed too much." The transition of power went smoothly, as family members hold many of Qatar's top posts.

According to a diplomatic source close to the Al Thani family, Sheikh Tamim has "a strong personality" that allowed him to "establish himself within" the ruling House of Thani. He became crown prince on 5 August 2003, after his brother Sheikh Jassim had stepped down. Diplomats quoted by the BBC argued that Jassim, who served as crown prince for eight years, had hoped to expand his political powers. In 2003, Sheikh Jassim stepped down from the position of crown prince. 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 said that he had only accepted the position in October 1996 because of "sensitive circumstances". According to a report by Stratfor, Jassim had no allies among the military forces or secret police at the time of the 2013 political transition, and thus had few chances to overturn Hamad's decree.

Domestic policy

Tamim rules an authoritarian regime. He holds all executive and legislative authority in Qatar; political parties are forbidden, and elections are not free and fair. The citizens of Qatar have limited political and civil rights.

One of Tamim's first moves after coming to power was to merge bureaucracies, such as the Qatar National Food Security Program, which was incorporated into the Ministries of Economy and Agriculture. He lowered the budget of the Qatar Foundation and Qatar Museums Authority and other institutions.

Since his accession to power, the government has expanded the roads around the capital, developed the new Doha Metro system, and completed the construction of a new airport, the Hamad International Airport. During the Arab Spring, Tamim promised to establish a directive to lower the price of foodstuffs sold by companies working with the country's National Food Security Programme and anticipated social allowances and pension increases.

In his inaugural speech on 26 June 2013, Sheikh Tamim pledged to continue to diversify Qatar's economy away from hydrocarbons.

In 2014, Tamim passed new "cybercrime" legislation, which was said to be part of an agreement among Gulf states to criminalize online insults of the region's royal families. The law outlawed the spreading of "false news" as well as digital material that violates the country's "social values" or "general order". The legislation made it illegal to incite, aid and facilitate the publication of offensive material. The law was criticized as being intended by the authoritarian regime to silence dissent in Qatar. Amnesty International called the law "a major setback for freedom of expression in Qatar" and other critics suggest that the new law will violate provisions of the country's constitution that protect civil liberties.

In June 2013, Sheikh Tamim unveiled his new cabinet. Khalid bin Mohammad Al Attiyah was named foreign minister. Unlike previous appointees to this post, Al Attiyah was a non-royal. Tamim made Hessa Al Jaber the first ever Minister of Information and Communications Technology in Qatar in 2013. She was the third female minister to be named to the cabinet.

In January 2016, Tamim made additional changes to his cabinet. He named a new foreign minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, moving the previous foreign minister, Khalid bin Mohammad Al Attiyah, to the position of Minister of State for Defense Affairs. Tamim also merged several ministries, including communication and transport, culture, youth and sports. Journalists have speculated reasons behind the cabinet changes. Some have come to the conclusion that the reorganization was either an economic move, meant to save the country money at a time where the falling price of gas has forced the country to scale back its workforce or for reasons of political stability. Eurasia Group indicated in a report that the cabinet change aimed to increase efficiency in government operations and would not negatively impact political or economic stability. According to others the appointments showed that Tamim was trying to make the government his own by bringing in a new, younger generation of ministers that were more loyal to him than to his father.

In August 2021, Tamim issued a decree to hold the first-ever legislative elections to the Consultative Assembly of Qatar which were held on 2 October 2021. Eligibility for the vote was limited to people aged 18 years and up who had a grandfather born in Qatar; candidates were required to be at least 30 years of age and of Qatari origin. Some members of the seminomadic Al Murrah tribe were barred from the election, causing discontent among some members of the tribe. Some members and supporters of the Al Murrah tribe were arrested after protesting the law. After the vote controversy, Tamim pledged equal citizenship and ordered legal amendments.

The Assembly's powers are limited. The body can only question the prime minister, who is appointed by the Emir of Qatar, on his policies if two-thirds of the members agree, which is unlikely given that one-third of the members are appointed by the Emir.

Labour rights

During Tamim's rule, Qatar's abuse and exploitation of foreign migrant labors (mostly Indians and Nepalese) has been a subject of international controversy, in particular in the lead-up to the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Two laws protecting workers' rights, which included clauses on maximum working hours and rights to annual leave, were passed by Sheikh Tamim in 2017. The next year, Sheikh Tamim passed Law No. 13 of 2018, abolishing exit visas for roughly 95% of the country's migrant workers. The remaining 5% of workers, which amount to approximately 174,000 people, still require their employer's permission to exit the country. Amnesty International described the step taken by the emir as an "important first step towards meeting the authorities' promise to fundamentally reform the exploitative sponsorship system" but called on the government to follow through with more reforms.

In November 2017, Qatar and the International Labour Organization (ILO) started a technical cooperation programme to improve working conditions and labour rights. The ILO opened its first project office in Qatar in April 2018.

Following the adoption on 30 August 2020 of Law No. 19 of 2020, migrant workers can now change jobs before the end of their contract without first having to obtain a no objection certificate (NOC) from their employer. This new law, coupled with the removal of exit permit requirements earlier in the year, effectively dismantles the " kafala system" of sponsorships, although elements of the system remained.Qatar: Labour reform unfinished and compensation still owed as World Cup looms
Amnesty International (October 20, 2022). In March 2021, Qatar implemented a monthly minimum wage of 1,000 riyals (USD 275) for all workers, making it the first country in the region to do so.

Legislative election

On 29 July 2021, Sheikh Tamim signed Law No. 6 of 2021 for the conduct of first legislative (Shura Council) election in Qatar and fifth in the Gulf cooperation Council (GCC). The law was first approved in a 2003 constitutional referendum but was never enforced. Of the 45 seats of the Shura Council, two thirds (30 seats) are elected while the emir appoints the remaining 15 members of the council giving this minority group and his cabinet overwhelming power of decision making on issues of defense, foreign policy and other critical issues of the state. The elected Shura Council members are vested with powers to draft laws, approves state budgets, debates major issues and provides advice to the ruling emir. This law was widely criticized by international rights groups for the exclusion of naturalized Qatari citizens and other groups. On 2 October 2021, the first ever election held in Qatar recording 63.5 per cent voter turnout but with protests by disenfranchised groups.

Foreign policy

Tamim's transition to power was welcomed by leaders across the world, who expected him to continue to work in his father's footsteps and increase Qatar's role in vital international affairs, including the Syrian crisis and Darfur agreement.

Analysts said he would be tasked with overseeing substantial upgrades to the national infrastructure, which have recently gotten underway. While some view Tamim as more religious than his father, most analysts expect him to retain his father's largely pragmatic habits of governing – using Islam to further objectives where useful, but not pushing strictly Islamic agenda items such as outlawing alcohol. In 2020, the Qatari government condemned "populist rhetoric inciting the abuse of religions" and "hate speech based on belief, race or religion." From 2020 onward, Qatar took gradual steps to remove hateful or violent content from school textbooks.Qatar removes some antisemitic, violent material from school textbooks - report
''Jerusalem Post'' (December 7, 2021).Qatari textbooks making slow progress on removing antisemitism - IMPACT-se
''Jerusalem Post'' (July 23, 2022).
In his inaugural speech to the nation, Tamim vowed that he would continue to pursue a central role for Qatar in the region but that he will not "take direction" in foreign affairs. He committed to the "highest possible level of integration" with his Gulf neighbors.

In May 2022, Tamim met in Iran with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi. Tamim expressed satisfaction with his second visit to Iran and pointed to the prominent position of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution in the Islamic world and said: The crimes of the Zionist regime in Palestine are horrible and we must all stand against the events in Palestine. Tamim also discussed the solution to the problems of the countries in the region, including Syria, Iraq and Yemen, and also mentioned the economic relations between Iran and Qatar: The Economic Committee between the two countries has become active, and we hope that economic cooperation will significantly improve by next year.

In late October 2013, a few months after taking charge, Sheikh Tamim took a regional tour of the Gulf. Even before his accession to power, he formally represented his father at the annual Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit in Bahrain in December 2012 and welcomed delegates to the Arab League Summit in Doha in March 2013.

Working in a government security post, he promoted stronger ties with Saudi Arabia, a neighbour and often contentious rival to Qatar. Tamim considers Qatar's rivalry with Saudi Arabia unproductive, as has been the case in the so far unsuccessful attempt to build a cohesive Syrian opposition. Despite this, Tamim worked within the GCC to support the Syrian opposition.

Qatar has also provided aid through loans and investments to the democratically elected Ennahdha Party in Tunisia, and to parties in Yemen and Morocco.

Relations with Gulf and North Africa countries

Since the 2011 Arab Spring, Qatar vied with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for influence in the Middle East and North Africa, including in Egypt, Libya and Tunisia. Qatari support for Islamist causes and for organizations that oppose the absolute rule of the Gulf's hereditary rulers provoked tensions with the GCC countries.

In March 2014, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain withdrew their ambassadors to Qatar for nine months; diplomatic relations were restored following the November 2014 Riyadh Agreement.Ian Black
Qatar-Gulf deal forces expulsion of Muslim Brotherhood leaders
''The Guardian'' (September 16, 2014).

The officially cited reason for the 2014 diplomatic crisis was Qatar's alleged refusal to ratify the agreements of non-interference in domestic policy within the GCC in December 2013, but the underlying causes was a long-term degeneration in Qatar's relationships with other Arab states, precipitated by Qatari's backing of Islamists during Arab Spring revolts. Qatar and Turkey supported the Egyptian government of Mohammed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood, while the other Gulf Arab statements supported the military coup that ousted Morsi from power. As part of the 2014 agreement, Qatar expelled seven senior Muslim Brotherhood figures and agreed to stop al-Jazeera broadcasts critical of the Egyptian government. The 2014 agreement was vague and lacked verification provisions, however, and both sides later claimed that the other had breached the agreement.

On June 5, 2017, the Qatar diplomatic crisis began, with Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE, and Bahrain severing diplomatic ties to Qatar and blockading Qatar, citing Qatar's support for the Muslim Brotherhood, its continued harboring of key Muslim Brotherhood figures within Qatar, and support for the International Union of Muslim Scholars, the Brotherhood's clerical affiliate, which is linked to Hamas. In January 2020, following a summit in Al-Ula, Saudi Arabia, Qatar reconciled with its neighbors, with a statement issued at the conclusion of the statement signed by Saudi Arabia, members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, and Egypt, although the statement did not specifically address the rift or its causes. In January 2021, Tamin signed an agreement ending the 43-month air, land and sea blockade of Qatar by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt. The nations reopened their land border and airspace to Qatar.

Egypt

Qatar heavily invested in loans and aid to Egypt during the Muslim Brotherhood's government. According to documents obtained by Al Arabiya, Qatar had agreed to stop providing support to the Muslim Brotherhood. In August 2013, Qatar joined a U.S.-led attempt to mediate the escalating tension between the Muslim Brotherhood and the military. Speaking at Georgetown University during his first visit to the United States, Tamim reiterated that Qatar would not interfere in Egypt but condemned what happened in Egypt after the 2013 coup. Since Mohamed Morsi

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