Qatar Risk Management Report: Emir Sheikh Tamim settles in as Egyptian allies fall

On 25 June, Sheikh Hamad abdicated in favour of his son, heir apparent Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani. The move was expertly stagemanaged: rumours of a handover had been circulating for months, and it was portrayed as a transfer to a dynamic next generation. In his final address as leader, 61-year-old Hamad spoke of the “original and creative initiatives” of Qatar’s youth, and said it was time to “usher in a new era”.