Qatar 2022: Who is the emir of Qatar, the figure behind the World Cup that is surrounded by luxuries and scandals

The picture of Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani will cease to be omnipresent only in Qatar from this Sunday. Thus, the emir’s face will cross the borders of this small Gulf country during the World Cup 2022.

“The emir has the same image in Latin America that the Arab monarchies of the Gulf have: spendthrifts, multimillionaires and with a lot of properties in Europe, but there is another face, of openness and modernization, within the country,” he told TN the dean of the Faculty of Communication at the University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, Jairo Lugo-Ocandowho lived several years in Doha.

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The figure of the emir has been associated in recent years with what many journalists consider the “purchase” from the organization of the World Cup to FIFA and the trail of deaths of foreign workers that left the construction of the modern stadiums in which the tournament will be played. Doha denies the payment of bribes to leaders of the highest international soccer body and admits only the death of three workers against the 6,500 denounced in a report released by The Guardian.

“Many mistakes were made. There was a lot of neglect at the beginning. Since then there has been a lot of progress on labor rights, but much more still needs to be done and the world must press and watch,” said Lugo-Ocando.

Gas and oil made Qatar one of the richest countries in the world

The millionaire status that marks the destinations of Qatar is something relatively new in the Gulf. Oil and gas made this country one of the richest in the world. The great transformation began in the early 1990s.

The flow of dollars was reflected in a rapid modernization of the country and in its growing influence, first in the Gulf and then in the rest of the world. The creation of companies as Qatar Airwyas (1993), the satellite TV network Al Jazeera (1996), in Arabic and English and with an international sports channel such as sports legor the investment fund Qatar Investment Authority (2005), were fundamental stones in this expansion process.

“His father was a very progressive guy from the point of view of the Arab world. he created Al Jazeerathe Education City and the Qatar Foundationwhich is an educational arm that took Doha to the most prestigious universities in the world and where hundreds of foreigners study,” said Lugo-Ocando.

It is estimated that Qatar has invested some 200 billion dollars to expand its influence in the world in recent years. The names are familiar: the al Thani invested in shares on the London Stock Exchange, in the airline British Airways; in the automotive Volkswagen y Porscheand emblematic brands such as stores Harrodsthe jewelers Tiffany and the study of Hollywood Miramax. The list includes banks Barclays y Swiss credit.

Who is Tamin bin Hamad al Thani, the Emir of Qatar?

Tamin succeeded his father 9 years ago, Hamad bin Khalifa, who in turn had taken the reins of the monarchy after overthrowing his own father in 1995. The current emir was not a natural candidate for the throne, but his older brother, Sheikh Jassim, paved the way for him by resigning his right to title. Then everything changed.

Educated at Sherbone School, Dorset, UK, and graduated from Royal Military Academy SandhurstTamin held several strategic positions in the economy and security before assuming power in 2013. With the World Cup in his pocket, his father wanted to present to the world a renewed monarchy under the impetus of the new generations.

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His figure is today very popular among the Qataris. At 42, the emir tries to show himself as a moderate and “westernized” ruler abroad, even wearing a suit and tie on his trips abroad, such as when he was received at the Olivos residence in 2016 by then-president Mauricio Macri. Even though he has three wives, he chooses to appear in public only with Jawaher Bint Hamadhis first wife.

But his opulent life often betrays him and makes him related to other monarchs of the Gulf. A) Yes, paid $150 million for the UK’s most expensive property in central London, one of his favorite cities. In addition, he likes to walk around Mallorca surrounded by all kinds of luxuries, such as very expensive cars and always accompanied by a movie entourage. His yacht alone is valued at $200 million.

Football, the new mecca of the al Thani dynasty

With unlimited funds, the al Thani dynasty soon understood that football was the master key to reaching the entire planet. This is how he acquired the arch-powerful French PSG, where none other than Lionel Messi plays, through the company Qatar Sport Investiments. The icing on the cake was the organization of the 2022 World Cup, amid a chorus of suspicions about the payment of never-proven bribes.

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But not all were roses. Qatar, a staunch ally of the United States, clashed with powerful Saudi Arabia, also an ally of Washington, in a conflict marked by a power struggle for greater influence in the region fueled by the “Arab Spring.” Doha is also accused of having a good relationship with Iran and of trying to influence the Arab world through the powerful TV Al Jazeera.

This kind of Arab “cold war” included a strong Saudi blockade of Qatar in 2017 and the rupture of relations of several Arab nations with Doha, which they accused of supporting internal groups considered “terrorists”. The crisis was only overcome last year.

Qatar, an unknown world where the opening is intertwined with tribal elements

Jairo Lugo-Ocando lived in Qatar for several years. He was Director of Executive and Postgraduate Education and Professor-in-Residence at Northwestern University in Doha. In recent times he has observed “a process of opening up” in the country that included the promotion of the Shura Council, a kind of legislative and consultative power, although the reins are in the hands of the emir in a virtually absolute way.

“It is a complex country. It is a society that has high tribal, clan elements. Sharia (Islamic law) and the death penalty apply, but have never been applied“, held.

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Today 2.9 million people live in Qatar, but only 300,000 are Qataris. Most of the foreigners are workers from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, who were in charge of building the World Cup stadiums amid strong reports of deaths in accidents under conditions of very poor job security.

“Foreign workers are the most problematic part of Qatar. It is actually a problem throughout the Gulf, where there is little job protection. However, there has been a lot of progress from the point of view of labor legislation,” commented Lugo-Ocando. In contrast, “Qataris get priority jobs so they take care of key areas. And they are the only ones who can vote. It is very difficult for a foreigner to be naturalized, even if he was born in Qatar. It is a very long and difficult process,” she concluded.