Qatar and Iran

Qatar sees security in mediation, while keeping a wary eye on neighbours and Trump


Issue 1195 - 16 Jan 2025 | 12 minute read

Under Emir Sheikh Tamim, Doha has pulled back from the overt foreign interventions that typified his father’s rule, preferring to make itself more useful as an international mediator – with another apparent triumph in negotiating the new Gaza ceasefire – while keeping regional rivals onside and building up its global-scale gas industry to leave it as one of the world’s wealthiest jurisdictions for decades to come.

Profile: Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani

Official Tamim Qatar Emir

Role: Emir

Sheikh Tamim came to power in June 2013 and since then has deepened Qatar’s position as a global-scale exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG), overseen the hosting of football’s Fifa World Cup in 2022 (underlining his personal interest in the sport), navigated the country through the 2017-21 boycott by Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the UAE and the Covid-19 pandemic, and developed the emirate’s position as an intermediary on the international stage. Read more

Qatar: Al-Thani influence chart

Qatar Al-Thani tree

Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim has overseen a centralisation of power in the Emiri Diwan, to move away from the style of previous governments.

This family tree of the Al-Thani shows the main lines of the Qatari ruling family, including branches now quite distant from the Emir whose members remain influential.

Key individuals are linked to profiles and curated material from GSN’s unrivalled multi-decade archive of reporting.

Want to read more?

Subscriber only content

An active subscription is required to view this article

Subscribe to Gulf States Newsletter

View subscription options