Issue 1189 PDF: How Emir Sheikh Tamim has shaped Qatar


GSN 1189-cover
Issue 1189 - 16 Jul 2024

The issue leads with a focus on Qatar, where  Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad has a tight grip on power, having strengthened his position during the 2017-21 regional boycott and with the success of the 2022 World Cup.

GSN’s new series of profiles of key decision-makers in Qatar includes a look at Tamim's siblings and an examination of influential family members in the political scene, where Tamim has tended to emphasise technocratic ability over family ties. The profiles are brought together in a revised Al-Thani influence chart.

Politics coverage includes a look at the UAE's latest government reshuffle, which saw Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed become only the second defence minister in the history of the country, taking over from his father, Dubai Ruler Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid.

Saudi Arabia is the focus of a risk management report, which examines the government's decision to increase the retirement age by up to five years to 65. This is just one indication of how the Saudi government is having to make tough decisions to keep its fiscal position under control.

Riyadh is also putting pressure on others to help fund its programme of megaprojects, with the Kuwait Investment Authority agreeing to open an office in the kingdom at a time when most international investors are staying away.

Saudi Arabia is also the focus of energy stories looking at the Kingdom's efforts to expand gas output and boost solar power.

The GSN View focuses on Iran, where president-elect Masoud Pezeshkian is due to be sworn into office in late July, after winning a run-off vote against the hardline Saeed Jalili. While Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei remains the ultimate decision-maker, there are reasons to believe Pezeshkian – the only moderate allowed to run in the election – could set Iran on a more sensible path domestically and a less confrontational one internationally.

Meanwhile, the newly-elected United Kingdom government of Prime Minister Keir Starmer has indicated it may draw up a new definition of state-sponsored terrorism in order to target Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

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