Qatar ruler abdicates in favour of son

Qatar’s ruler Shaikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani has transferred power to the 33-year-old crown prince.

Shaikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani was appointed as crown prince in 2003 and now serves as the chairman of the Qatar Investment Authority, the country’s primary sovereign wealth fund.

According to Gulf News report, Shaikh Hamad said that Shaikh Tamim is qualified for the responsibility and is trustworthy enough to open a new page in the country’s journey with innovative ideas.

The managing editor of Al Arab newspaper, Abdullah Al Athbah, said that there will be a big change in the foreign and domestic policies as Tamim had been very close to his father and Shaikh Jasem.

Shaikh Tamim will likely begin the process of putting together a new government that may be in direct contrast to the old guard leaders across the Western-backedGulf Arab states.

Image: Qatar's Crown Prince Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani smiles during his arrival at Khartoum Airport in Sudan

Photograph: Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah/Reuters