Sheikh Tamim ibn Hamad Al Thani

Sheikh Tamim ibn Hamad Al Thani (born June 3, 1980, Doha, Qatar) is the emir of Qatar (2013– ) who succeeded his father, Sheikh Hamad, after Hamad abdicated in his favour.

Tamim was educated in the United Kingdom. Like his father, he attended the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, graduating in 1998. He then returned to Qatar, where he was commissioned as an officer in the Qatari armed forces. In 2003 Tamim was selected to replace as crown prince his elder brother Jassim, who had renounced the position. Over the next decade Tamim was groomed to rule the country, holding a series of increasingly important economic, diplomatic, and national security positions. In 2009 he was appointed deputy commander in chief of the armed forces.

Tamim’s most-visible activities during his 10 years as crown prince concerned his leadership of Qatar’s efforts to boost its international stature by attracting major sporting events and acquiring high-profile sports teams. He was chairman of the organizing committee for the 2006 Asian Games, held in Qatar, and led the country’s successful bid to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He also orchestrated Qatar’s purchase of the Paris Saint-Germain football (soccer) club.

In June 2013 Hamad stepped aside as emir in favour of Tamim, citing the need to make way for a new generation of Qatari leaders. The transfer of power, although widely expected in Qatar, broke with the pattern (at the time) of Gulf Arab leaders holding their positions for life.

His reign was marked early on by a growing rift with some of Qatar’s Gulf neighbours, who briefly withdrew their ambassadors from Qatar in 2014 in frustration with the country’s foreign policy and continued support for the Muslim Brotherhood. In 2017 Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Bahrain cut ties with Qatar and imposed an economic blockade. Nonetheless, Qatar adapted to the situation quickly, reorienting its trade toward Turkey, Iran, Kuwait, and Oman, among others. As tensions continued, Tamim skipped the annual meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in 2018 and 2019. When he returned to the annual meeting in January 2021, the attendees signed an agreement to restore ties and lift the blockade.