The emir of gas-rich Qatar, a major player on the world's diplomatic scene, is poised to announce his abdication in favor of his son or name him prime minister, officials and diplomats said Monday.
The emir of gas-rich
Qatar
, a
major player on the world's diplomatic scene, is poised to announce his
abdication in favor of his son or name him prime minister, officials and
diplomats said Monday.
Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, who used the tiny Gulf Arab state's immense
gas wealth to drive its modernization, came to power in a coup when he
overthrew his own father Sheikh Khalifa in June 1995.
The ruler is expected to announce his decision during a meeting later Monday
with members of the royal family, Al-Jazeera television reported.
"Trusted sources have confirmed to Al-Jazeera that the Qatari emir ... is
due to meet members of the ruling family and prominent members of Qatari
society on Monday," said the report.
"The planned meeting comes amid news about the intentions of the emir to
transfer power to his heir apparent, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani," said
the Qatar-based news channel.
A diplomat said that by stepping down of his free accord the 61-year-old emir
would "score a first in the Arab world" where autocratic rulers have
held power uncontested for decades until the Arab Spring revolutions that toppled
regimes in
Tunisia
,
Egypt
and
Libya
.
"The emir is expected to address the ruling family and announce important
changes in the leadership," of the country, a source close to Qatari
ruling circles said.
He will either give the reigns of power to Sheikh Tamim--the second son of the
emir and his second wife Sheikha Mozah--or appoint him prime minister in the
place of powerful premier Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabr al-Thani.
The current prime minister has been at the job since 2007 and is also the
foreign minister of
Qatar
, a
role that has given the Gulf state a strong voice in the regional and
international political arenas.
The crown prince is joint commander of the armed forces and head of the
country's Olympic committee, which is also in charge of organizing the 2022
FIFA World Cup in
Qatar
.
Diplomats said that over the past three years the emir has increasingly handed
over military and security responsibilities to Tamim, who like his father was
educated at the British military academy
Sandhurst
.
"The emir is convinced that he should encourage the new generation. He
plans to transfer power to the crown prince, Sheikh Tamim, and to carry out a
ministerial reshuffle to bring a large number of young people into the
cabinet," a Qatari official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
"The emir could take a step back, that is to say not retire completely but
play a more honorary role, so that his son can better assume the
responsibilities and become the man in charge," a French diplomat said.
A Qatari official said that in any case the emir "will continue to play a
backstage influential role and keep an eye of
Qatar
's
investment abroad."
Hamad has developed
Qatar
into
a political powerhouse and an economic giant with multi-billion investments scattered
across the world.
The tiny Gulf peninsula holds the world's third largest gas reserves and
produces roughly 77 million tons of liquefied natural gas per year, making it
the world's largest supplier
Analyst Neil Partrick, an expert on the Gulf, ruled out major changes in Qatar
if Tamim, who was born in 1980, succeeds his father or takes over as prime
minister.
"Tamim already has responsibilities for sensitive foreign portfolios among
other matters, and the emir is at least testing the domestic, regional and
international waters about the idea of him jumping straight to the position of
emir or at least shortly becoming a powerful premier," said Partrick.
"For Qatari foreign policy, none of this seems likely to produce major
change. The young heir apparent Tamim is unlikely to effect major changes
without consulting his father," he added.
Qatar
took
part in the armed intervention in
Libya
and
is actively supporting rebel forces who are trying to topple the regime of
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
It has major investments around the world, including in the French football
club Paris Saint-Germain, in hotels, in a resort on the Italian island of
Sardinia, as well as stakes in automobile company Volkswagen and in energy
giant Total.
The Gulf state also controls a powerful media empire through Al-Jazeera, the
first pan-Arab satellite channel which has branched out into English, and
earlier this year bought Current TV, a struggling
U.S.
cable
channel, in preparation for the launch of
Al-Jazeera
America
.
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