4th Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani: biography

Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani became the fourth emir of Qatar after his father voluntarily resigned and retired. Voluntary abdication in favor of the heir is not too common in the Arab monarchies. It is likely that the reason for this decision was the spread of the ideas of the so-called Arab spring in the region . Among all heads of sovereign states, the current emir of Qatar is the youngest.

Ascent to power

Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani was far from the first among potential heirs, being the second son of the second wife of the ruling monarch. Perhaps, in order not to include his son in a premature struggle for power, his father sent him to Britain, where he received a magnificent education. First he graduated from the private school of Sherborne, and then the military academy Sandhurst.

Returning home, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani began his service in the armed forces of Qatar as a military pilot.

However, already in 2003 he was officially declared the heir to the Qatari throne. It happened because his older brother unexpectedly for the public refused the throne in favor of his brother.

State of Qatar. The transformation program

As soon as Sheikh Al Thani realized that he would become the ruler of the state, he began active work to change the image of Qatar in the international arena.

In the second year of his appointment, heir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani founded the state company Qatar Sports Investments, which was supposed to be engaged in the development of the sports industry.

With his most active participation, the XV Asian Games took place in Doha, in which he invested a lot of energy and money. Under his leadership, the organization of the World Swimming Championships was held and probably the World Cup 2022 will be held. It is assumed that 100 billion dollars will be spent on preparing the country's infrastructure for such a significant event. However, critics argue that during the discussion of Qatar's bid to host the championship there was corruption.

Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani personally led the National Olympic Committee and closely follows everything that happens in the sporting life of his country. He is the owner of the title "The best sports personality of the Arab world."

In addition to sports, the sheikh is also interested in the state finances and heads the Qatari investment management as chairman of the board of directors. In addition, he heads numerous environmental organizations, the Higher Education Council and investment companies.

The beginning of government

On June 25, 2013 Emir of Qatar Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani revealed his intentions to retire with his family and close associates. However, the official head of state, his youngest son became only after a public announcement of this on TV. Thus began the reign of the new monarch of the Persian Gulf.

According to many independent observers, among his competitors to the throne, Tamim favorably distinguished himself with a good education, moderate religiosity and business acumen. His other brothers were too fond of amusements or prayers.

At the same time, some observers believe that at first the position of the heir was not so strong: it was not supported by the military and secret police, which has broad powers in Qatar. However, through the efforts of the prince, the state managed to avoid a coup and confusion.

The basis of well-being

Despite the fact that Qatar on the world map occupies a barely perceptible peninsula in the Persian Gulf, its significance for the world economy is enormous. It is common knowledge that the state owns one of the largest natural gas fields, the proven reserves of which are about 15% of the world.

Such significant reserves make the state of Qatar one of the main suppliers of liquefied natural gas to the international market. This allows the Qatari ruler to pursue an independent foreign policy and pay minimal attention to criticism of his domestic policy.

Ambiguous domestic policy

Unlike his father, who disproportionately paid international relations disproportionately, compared with the internal affairs of the country, Tamim bin Hamid Al Thani decided to focus on the internal life of Qatar.

During the first few years of independent rule, the emir built a whole network of new roads around the capital, laid the foundations for the development of the Moscow metro.

In addition, he undertook to optimize domestic government spending, reduced part of the duplicating ministries and programs. The financing of Qatar's museums was also reduced. However, the Emir paid the greatest attention to food security of the state.

Fearing the spread of revolutionary ideas and worrying about the stability of his dynasty, the ruler began to provide the population with affordable food. For this purpose, the food safety program was reorganized, through which subsidies are made to companies that reduce food prices.

International criticism

International human rights organizations are alarmed by systematic violations of the rights and freedoms of citizens. Qatar on the map of the world, which is seen by human rights activists, does not occupy the most honorable place.

Simultaneously with other oil monarchies in the region, he became a party to an international agreement on criminal liability for insulting any governor of the region on the Internet. Thus, Qatar entered the club of states that punish their citizens for their political position.

But infringement of the rights of their own citizens is by no means the only skill that the young monarch perfectly possesses. On all sides, there are regular statements that the state of Qatar is a sponsor of the Islamists. For example, according to the Times, his government financed Syrian rebels for more than a billion dollars. Thus, the Emir Tamim is considered one of those who is involved in the unleashing of a bloody civil war in Syria, whose victims have already become hundreds of thousands of people, many millions are forcibly wandering in neighboring countries or risking their lives overcoming the sea to get to Europe.

Speaking of Qatar, journalists and human rights defenders never bypass the issue of the situation of labor migrants who have absolutely no rights, but are constantly oppressed and discriminated against.

Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and his wife

In his first marriage, Tamim entered long before the monarchy inheritance, in 2005. His first wife was a first cousin, from whom he has four children, the eldest of whom was born in 2006.

Two more daughters and two sons were born to the monarch from his second wife, the daughter of the Qatari ambassador in Jordan.

In 2014, the sheikh took himself a third wife, from whom he had another son.