| Emir ofthe State of Qatar | |
|---|---|
| أمير دولة قطر Amir Dawlat Qatar | |
| Incumbent | |
_(cropped).jpg) | |
| Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani since 25 June 2013 | |
| Details | |
| Style | His Highness |
| Heir presumptive | Abdullah bin Hamad Al Thani |
| First monarch | Mohammed bin Thani |
| Formation | 1851; 174 years ago (1851) |
| Residence | Amiri Diwan |
TheEmir of the State of Qatar (Arabic:أمير دولة قطر) is themonarch andhead of state ofQatar. The emir is also thecommander-in-chief of theArmed Forces and guarantor of theconstitution. The emir holds the mostpowerful position in the country, controlling allbranches of state power, and has a prominent role inforeign relations.
The emirs are members of theHouse of Thani (Al Thani), whose origins are in theBanu Tamim, one of the largesttribes in theArabian Peninsula. The current ruler isTamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who succeeded on 25 June 2013.[1]
All the emirs of Qatar have been members of theAl Thani family.[2][3] SheikhMohammed bin Thani is recognised as the first ruler, having begun his reign in 1851 when he united the country's tribes under his leadership.[4]
Qatar became part of theOttoman Empire in 1871, although Sheikh Mohammed retained control of its internal affairs.[4][5] Following his army's victory at theBattle of Al Wajbah in March 1893, the second ruler SheikhJassim bin Mohammed Al Thani has been recognised as Founder of the State of Qatar, although it remained part of the Ottoman Empire until July 1913.[6]
The Ottomans maintained a military presence in Qatar until August 1915 and SheikhAbdullah bin Jassim Al Thani signed the Anglo-Qatari Treaty on 3 November 1916. Sheikh Abdullah was the Qatari ruler from 1913 to 1949, and is one of the few monarchs, alongside the likes of QueenWilhelmina of the Netherlands, whose tenure extended through both world wars (1914–1945). Qatar's first oil well was drilled in October 1938, and oil was found atDukhan in January 1940.[7]
Qatar became an independent state on 3 September 1971 and, since then, the ruler has been styled emir (or "amir").[8]
Qatar is officially aconstitutional monarchy,[9][10] but the wide powers retained by the emir and his family have it bordering anabsolute monarchy[11][12] andautocracy.[13][14] The emir holds the primary role in theexecutive,legislative, andjudicial branches, and also maintains ultimate control over the military.
The emir and his family hold uncontested control over the executive branch. While theConsultative Assembly holds some "limited ability to offset executive power in certain areas",[15] all its members are themselves appointed by the emir.[16] The emir has the exclusive power to appoint and replace theprime minister andcabinet ministers, who together constitute theCouncil of Ministers, which is the main executive authority in the country.[17][15]
In 2003, Qatar adopteda constitution that provided for the direct election of 30 of the 45 members of a legislature.[18][19][20] However, the legislature has limited powers to reject legislation by the emir and dismiss ministers.[21][22] After nearly 20 years of postponements, the assembly held its first partial electionin October 2021.[23][24][25] InMay 2024, however, the country's "short-lived experiment" in electing members of the Consultative Assembly ended with a constitutionalreferendum abolishing future elections. Qatar's state news agency stated that the referendum will "strengthen the social fabric in the most beautiful image and form, which honestly represents an important stage in the country's victorious march and its national unity". The Associated Press noted that the 2021 election came "about a year ahead of Qatar hosting the2022 FIFA World Cup, an event that drewintense scrutiny from the West of the country'streatment of foreign laborers and its system of governance", and called the 2024 referendum "another rollback in the hereditarily ruled Gulf Arab states of halting steps to embrace representational rule".[16]
While the constitution makes some guarantees onjudicial independence, and judges are nominated for appointment by a "Supreme Council of the Judiciary" composed of senior judges, the emir appoints all judges, and "ultimately controls the judiciary".[15]
The emir is the Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. This title enshrines his role as the ultimate authority over all military branches: the Qatari Emiri Land Force,Qatari Emiri Navy,Qatari Emiri Air Force andQatari Emiri Guard. He also appoints military personnel and terminates their service. This power is absolute and places the entire military apparatus under his direct control. Setting defense policy "is the sole responsibility of the emir and his closest advisors", and the consultative assembly has never debated security issues.[26][27]
The permanent constitution of the state of Qatar, published in 2005, dictates that the rule is hereditary and limited to descendants ofHamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. The constitution dictates that the emir must appoint a crown prince to be his successor from amongst his male children, in consultation with members of theAl Thani Ruling Family. To be eligible for appointment as crown prince, a candidate must be Muslim and born of a Qatari mother. In the event that the ruling Emir has no eligible male children, the emir must select the crown prince from amongst the eligible members of the broader Al Thani family.[28]
The former emir of Qatar, SheikhHamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, appointed his fourth son, SheikhTamim bin Hamad Al Thani, as heir apparent on 5 August 2003, after his older son SheikhJassim bin Hamad Al Thani (who held the position between 1996 and 2003) renounced his rights to the throne in favour of Sheikh Tamim.[29]
The two previous transitions of power between emirs happened as a result of coups. Hamad bin Khalifareplaced his father, EmirKhalifa bin Hamad, in a bloodless palace coup in June 1995 while Khalifa was on a visit toGeneva,Switzerland.[30][31][32][33] Khalifa had himselfreplaced his own uncle, EmirAhmad bin Ali, under similar circumstances while Ahmad was on a visit toIran in February 1972.[34]
| Name | Lifespan | Reign start | Reign end | Notes | Family | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sheikh Mohammed bin Thani
| 1788 – December 1878 (aged 90) | 1851[4] | 18 December 1878 | Son ofThani bin Mohammed. | Al Thani | |
| Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani | 1825 – 17 July 1913 (aged 87–88) | 18 December 1878[6] | 17 July 1913[6] | Son ofMohammed bin Thani. | Al Thani |  |
| Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Thani
| 1853 – December 1905 (aged 52) | 1898 | 1905 (assassinated) (after his brother abdicated in favor of him until he was killed)[36] | Son ofMohammed bin Thani. | Al Thani | |
| Sheikh Mohammed bin Jassim Al Thani
| (1881-01-17)17 January 1881 – 8 April 1971(1971-04-08) (aged 90) | 1913 | 1914 (abdicated) (reigned for 10 months) | Son ofJassim bin Mohammed Al Thani. | Al Thani | |
| Sheikh Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani
| (1880-02-11)11 February 1880 – 25 April 1957(1957-04-25) (aged 77) | 17 July 1914 | 20 August 1949 (abdicated) | Son ofJassim bin Mohammed Al Thani. | Al Thani |  |
| Sheikh Ali bin Abdullah Al Thani
| (1895-06-05)5 June 1895 – 31 August 1974(1974-08-31) (aged 79) | 20 August 1949 | 24 October 1960 (abdicated) | Son ofAbdullah bin Jassim Al Thani and Mariam bint Abdullah Al Attiyah. | Al Thani |  |
| Sheikh Ahmad bin Ali Al Thani
| 1922 – 25 November 1977 (aged 54–55) | 24 October 1960 | 22 February 1972 (deposed)[37] | Son ofAli bin Abdullah Al Thani. | Al Thani | |
| Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani
| (1932-09-17)17 September 1932 – 23 October 2016(2016-10-23) (aged 84) | 22 February 1972 | 27 June 1995 (deposed)[31] | Nephew of Ali bin Abdullah Al Thani. | Al Thani | |
| Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani
| (1952-01-01)1 January 1952 (age 73) | 27 June 1995 | 25 June 2013 (abdicated)[1] | Son ofKhalifa bin Hamad Al Thani and Aisha bint Hamad Al Attiyah. | Al Thani | .jpg) |
| Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani
| (1980-06-03)3 June 1980 (age 45) | 25 June 2013[1] | Incumbent | Son ofHamad bin Khalifa Al Thani andMoza bint Nasser. | Al Thani | |
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Related topics |
In condemning Qatar, we should remember that the population of this authoritarian monarchy
; the Qatari state remains fundamentally autocratic
In condemning Qatar, we should remember that the population of this authoritarian monarchy
; the Qatari state remains fundamentally autocratic
He was of a new generation, open to the sorts of social, technological, economic, and political ideas from outside that his elders had never known. And, surrounding himself with young, Western-educated advisers, the new emir got right down to the business of remaking the national agenda of this traditionalWahhabi land.
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