Age, Biography, and Wiki
Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani was born in Doha, Qatar, on June 3, 1980. He succeeded his father, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, as the Emir of Qatar in 2013. The Al-Thani family has ruled Qatar since its establishment, with Tamim being the fourth son of Sheikh Hamad and the second son of Sheikha Moza bint Nasser Al-Missned. As Emir, Tamim has been instrumental in boosting Qatar's economic and diplomatic stature on the global stage.
| Occupation | Prime Ministers |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 3 June 1980 |
| Age | 45 Years |
| Birth Place | Doha, Qatar |
| Horoscope | Gemini |
| Country | Qatar |
Height, Weight & Measurements
There is limited public information available regarding Sheikh Tamim's height, weight, or other physical measurements.
Qatar called for a military intervention by Arab countries to end the bloodshed in Syria in 2012. Analysts expected that Tamin would have been under immediate pressure to reduce Qatar's support for the rebels in the Syrian Civil War, which he had previously supported. Sheikh Tamim took a step back after taking charge, primarily in response to the irritation voiced by Western powers at Qatar's operation to arm Syrian rebel groups which had been directed haphazardly. However, Qatar has continued to provide support to Syrian opposition groups, with Tamim declaring in a speech to the UN in September 2020 that Qatar would continue to support efforts to achieve justice and hold perpetrators of atrocities, war crimes, and crimes against humanity in Syria accountable. In 2015, under the aegis of a joint initiative with Saudi Arabia and Turkey promoted by Sheikh Tamim, Qatar has provided Syrian rebels with new weapons and forged a new opposition coalition in Syria known as the "Army of Conquest". Tamin also renewed his country's support for the Syrian people's demands for justice and freedom during a meeting with the chief of the Syrian National Coalition Khaled Khoja and his delegation in April 2015.
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Dating & Relationship Status
Sheikh Tamim is married to Sheikha Jawaher bint Hamad bin Suhaim Al Thani, and they have several children together. His personal life is generally kept private, but he is known for his influential role within the royal family.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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. 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 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.
On 13 October 2022, Tamim met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the capital of Kazakhstan, Astana. At the time, Putin was a political pariah over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Tamim praised Putin, saying he was "proud" of the relationship between Qatar and Russia. Qatar acted as a mediator in negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.
Tamim in particular played a role in the mediation with Taliban leaders, with whom he initiated contacts under his father's government. The United States requested the establishment of a Taliban office in Doha. In June 2013, the Taliban opened their first official overseas office in the Qatari capital as part of the long-standing attempt to broker a long-term Afghan peace agreement. In June 2015, Qatar successfully mediated efforts to free four Tajikistan soldiers kidnapped in December 2014 in Afghanistan by a Taliban group.
In 1996, Qatar established trade relations with the State of Israel, the first amongst all nations of the Arabian Peninsula and has continued to maintain its "working relationship" with Israel. Qatar cut commercial ties with Israel in 2009, after the first of four wars between Israel and Hamas in Gaza (Gaza War (2008–2009), 2012 Gaza War, 2014 Gaza War, 2021 Gaza War). In 2021, Qatar abstained from entering diplomatic agreement with state of Israel brokered by the United States, the country only maintained "working relationship" in order to aid Palestinians. It stated that it would normalize diplomatic ties when Israel commits to the Arab Peace Initiative. In May 2021, it was reported that Qatar had within a period of 10 years provided over $3 billion in aid to Gaza and West Bank with Israeli approval. In 2022, Israeli military officials were secretly dispatched to Qatar's Al Udeid Air Base, forward operating headquarters of all US forces in the West Asia, also known as CENTCOM as part of a security reshuffle.
Political analysts expected Tamim to be more conservative and risk-averse than his father. Because Tamim is very close to the Muslim Brotherhood, preserving a national identity grounded in Islamic traditional values has been Tamim's first priority.
* Sheikh Tamim married his first wife and second cousin, Sheikha Jawaher bint Hamad Al Thani, on 8 January 2005. They have four children, two sons and two daughters:
* Sheikh Tamim married a second wife, Sheikha Al-Anoud bint Mana Al Hajri, on 3 March 2009. She is the daughter of Mana bin Abdul Hadi Al Hajri, former Qatari Ambassador to Jordan. They have five children, three daughters and two sons:
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| Husband | Jawaher bint Hamad Al Thani (m. 2005) Al-Anoud bint Mana Al Hajri (m. 2009) Noora bint Hathal Al Dosari (m. 2014) |
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Net Worth and Salary
Estimates of Sheikh Tamim's net worth vary significantly. Some sources suggest it exceeds $2 billion, while others propose a figure as high as $10 billion. The discrepancies arise from the private nature of the royal family's finances and the vast wealth tied to Qatar's energy resources and global investments.
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. 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.
Career, Business, and Investments
Sheikh Tamim has been pivotal in Qatar's economic growth and strategic investments. He heads the Qatar Investment Authority, which oversees a diverse portfolio of investments worldwide, including major stakes in Harrods, Barclays Bank, and Sainsbury's. His leadership has been instrumental in hosting significant international events like the 2022 FIFA World Cup and acquiring the football club Paris Saint-Germain.
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.
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 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.
On 20 January 2021, Qatar and Egypt agreed to resume diplomatic relations. In March 2021, during a visit to Cairo, Qatari foreign minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani handed over Sheikh Tamim's invitation for Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. Sheikh Tamim named the Qatari ambassador to Egypt in July 2021 and met with el-Sisi in Baghdad on 28 August 2021. On 24 June 2022, Tamim met with el-Sisi in Cairo. They discussed diplomatic and economic relations after Qatar and Egypt had signed investments contracts worth more than US$5 billion in March 2022.
Qatar allegedly provided a financial boost to Morsi's Freedom and Justice Party, and Brotherhood opponents allegedly argued that Morsi's narrow election victory was achieved through Qatari funding. After Morsi's election, Qatar contributed a total of US$5.5 billion to the Muslim Brotherhood administration. Qatar has repeatedly denied that it supports the Muslim Brotherhood, saying it supports "the legitimate peoples and governments elected whatever the ideology of the ruling group as long as it works on the prosperity and welfare of its people." Tamim himself has also repeatedly denied that Qatar supports extremists.
Tamim signed a military cooperation agreement with Turkey during an official visit to the country in December 2014. The agreement aims to promote cooperation in military training and the defense industry, and allows for the deployment of the Turkish Armed Forces to Qatar and the Qatari military to Turkey.
In August 2018, Qatar pledged $15 billion investment in Turkey, during currency crisis amid a diplomatic standoff with US. The investment package was announced after Tamim met Erdoğan in Ankara, on 15 August 2018.
Tamim met UK Prime Minister David Cameron and Queen Elizabeth II in October 2014 on his first official visit to the UK. Qatar and the UK anticipated a Qatari-British Economic Forum to explore mutual investment opportunities. Up to and during this meeting The Telegraph newspaper launched a campaign to urge Cameron to discuss Qatar's funding of Islamic extremists with Tamim. The Conservative MP, Stephen Barclay, repeatedly called for transparency in Britain's dealings with Qatar and said it was "essential" for Cameron to raise the issue of terror finance. "I welcome the fact that the Prime Minister is meeting with the Emir," he said. "As part of these discussions it is essential that the issue of financing Sunni tribes in Syria and Iraq is raised." In July 2018, Tamim and UK Prime Minister Theresa May signed a letter of intent between the governments of Qatar and the United Kingdom. Both agreed to exchange information and intelligence on terrorism, to cooperate in the areas of law enforcement related to terror activities and security of the transport sector, including airports and aviation, and to fight financial crime. Sheikh Tamim and Sheikha Jawaher bint Hamad Al Thani attended the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II on 19 September 2022, and the coronation of King Charles III on 6 May 2023, both held at Westminster Abbey, London.
Tamim met French president Emmanuel Macron twice in 2017. In the latter meeting, they signed commercial contracts worth more than US$14 billion. During their 2018 meeting, Tamim thanked Macron for his support for Qatar in the Gulf crisis. They met again in 2021. In 2024, Macron and Tamim signed a €10 billion agreement on investment in the French economy.
In May 2022, during his first visit to Europe after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Tamin signed energy and investment projects with several countries, including Spain and Germany, and for the first time spoke at the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos.
In November 2024, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani affirmed Qatar's support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, advocating for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital. His statement, emphasizing the importance of international resolutions and the Arab Peace Initiative, was delivered during the United Nations' "International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People" event in Vienna.
Social Network
While Sheikh Tamim does not maintain a personal social media presence, his activities and engagements are often covered by official government channels and international news outlets.
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.
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.
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.
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 and Western countries, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and the United Nations, have expressed opposition to Bashar al-Assad's reinstatement into the Arab League. Their concerns primarily revolve around safeguarding the well-being and security of Syrian refugees across the Middle East. On 30 January 2025, Sheikh Tamim became the first head of state to visit Damascus since the fall of the Assad regime, discussing post-conflict reconstruction in Syria and other topics.
Education
Sheikh Tamim received his education in England, attending Sherborne International and Harrow School. He graduated from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in 1998. This education background has played a role in shaping his leadership skills and international perspective.
In conclusion, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani is a key figure in Qatar's economic and political landscape, with a net worth that reflects his influential position and the country's vast wealth. His career has been marked by significant investments and strategic leadership, further solidifying Qatar's global standing.
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.
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's removal from office, the new government has turned down Qatari offers for financial aid. Qatar's continued support for the Muslim Brotherhood resulted in a diplomatic rift between Qatar and Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE in 2014, culminating in the withdrawal of the latter three countries' ambassadors in March of that year. Qatar has continuously denied allegations of support for the Muslim Brotherhood, with the Foreign Minister stating in 2017: "In Egypt, when the Muslim Brotherhood assumed power, some linked this to Qatar's support, even though nearly 70 percent of the assistance program provided by Qatar was during the era of Essam Sharaf, during the period of the military council". In June 2016, Morsi was given a life sentence for passing state secrets to Qatar.
On 2 December 2015, Tamim signed a number of agreements with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Cooperative agreements in education, maritime transport and correspondence pacts between intelligence agencies were signed. An agreement was also reached by Turkey to purchase liquefied natural gas from Qatar over a lengthy duration. The two leaders also announced the planned creation of a Turkish military base in Qatar; a first for Turkey in the Persian Gulf.
