-:Undertaker:-
04-07-2013, 06:04 PM
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/qatar/10140273/Qatar-emir-abdicates.html
Qatar emir abdicates
Qatar has started a leadership transition that will see the 33-year old crown prince succeed his father as emir in a move that has momentous implications for one of the most powerful states in the Middle East.
http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02599/Sheikh-Hamad-qatar_2599195b.jpg
Qatar's Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani delivering a televised speech in Doha
Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, 61, transformed his country from a postcolonial outpost into a nation with outsized power in a region under going dramatic sectarian and generational change.
His chosen successor, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani has been groomed for leadership but the early handover comes at a sensitive time when Qatar's role in the Syria conflict and the Afghan war is crucial.
The Sherbourne-educated crown prince, who is effectively the owner of Paris Saint Germain football club, stood alongside his father to receive visitors at the royal palace in Doha.
The scenes were dramatically different from those in 1995 when Sheikh Hamad mobilised the armed forces to declare himself ruler while his own father was on a trip to Geneva.
"The time has come to open a new page in the journey of our nation that would have a new generation carry the responsibilities (armed) with their innovative ideas and active energies," the emir said in a televised speech.
http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02599/qatar-1_2599201c.jpg
Qatar's Crown Prince Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad al-Thani (Reuters)
The decision marks the "beginning of a new era in which a young leadership will hold the banner," he added.
The emir made no immediate mention of the public face of Qatar's assertive foreign policy, prime minister and foreign minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim, who is also expected also to step down in a reshuffle
Sheikh Hamad used Qatar's immense gas wealth to drive its modernisation with a sovereign fund estimated to be worth more than $100 billion. Its portfolio includes landmark real estate, luxury brands and a powerful presence in the sporting world.
The occasion was marked by the declaration of Tuesday as a public holiday.
"Such a generational shift will make waves in the region, even though the Qataris informed other countries of their decision," said Doha-based analyst Salman Shaikh.
"This decision is consistent with Qatar's policy," he said. "They have been preparing for change for some time, they want to move to the younger generation."
A diplomat said that by freely stepping down the emir would "score a first in the Arab world," where autocratic rulers held power uncontested for decades until the Arab Spring revolutions that toppled regimes in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TksbulHBANg
He's done a good job of what I can tell - just look at the difference in the Qatari skyline over the past decade. :P
Thoughts?
Qatar emir abdicates
Qatar has started a leadership transition that will see the 33-year old crown prince succeed his father as emir in a move that has momentous implications for one of the most powerful states in the Middle East.
http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02599/Sheikh-Hamad-qatar_2599195b.jpg
Qatar's Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani delivering a televised speech in Doha
Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, 61, transformed his country from a postcolonial outpost into a nation with outsized power in a region under going dramatic sectarian and generational change.
His chosen successor, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani has been groomed for leadership but the early handover comes at a sensitive time when Qatar's role in the Syria conflict and the Afghan war is crucial.
The Sherbourne-educated crown prince, who is effectively the owner of Paris Saint Germain football club, stood alongside his father to receive visitors at the royal palace in Doha.
The scenes were dramatically different from those in 1995 when Sheikh Hamad mobilised the armed forces to declare himself ruler while his own father was on a trip to Geneva.
"The time has come to open a new page in the journey of our nation that would have a new generation carry the responsibilities (armed) with their innovative ideas and active energies," the emir said in a televised speech.
http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02599/qatar-1_2599201c.jpg
Qatar's Crown Prince Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad al-Thani (Reuters)
The decision marks the "beginning of a new era in which a young leadership will hold the banner," he added.
The emir made no immediate mention of the public face of Qatar's assertive foreign policy, prime minister and foreign minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim, who is also expected also to step down in a reshuffle
Sheikh Hamad used Qatar's immense gas wealth to drive its modernisation with a sovereign fund estimated to be worth more than $100 billion. Its portfolio includes landmark real estate, luxury brands and a powerful presence in the sporting world.
The occasion was marked by the declaration of Tuesday as a public holiday.
"Such a generational shift will make waves in the region, even though the Qataris informed other countries of their decision," said Doha-based analyst Salman Shaikh.
"This decision is consistent with Qatar's policy," he said. "They have been preparing for change for some time, they want to move to the younger generation."
A diplomat said that by freely stepping down the emir would "score a first in the Arab world," where autocratic rulers held power uncontested for decades until the Arab Spring revolutions that toppled regimes in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TksbulHBANg
He's done a good job of what I can tell - just look at the difference in the Qatari skyline over the past decade. :P
Thoughts?