Political System

Emirate Qatar

The form of government in the State of Qatar is hereditary in the family of Al Thani and in the line of the male descendants of Hamad bin Khalifa bin Hamad bin Abdullah bin Qassim. The rule is inherited by the son named as Heir Apparent by the Emir after consultation with members of the Ruling Family and the people of wisdom (Ahal Alhal wal agd) in the State. In case there is no such son, the prerogatives of rule is passed to the member of the family named by the Emir as Heir Apparent. In this case, his male descendants shall inherit the rule.

The Emir

On the 27th of June 1995 His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani assumed the rule of the State of Qatar supported by the ruling family. He appointed on 5 August 2003 HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani as Heir Apparent.

The Emir is the Head of State. His person shall be inviolable and he must be respected by all. The Emir is the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. He shall supervise the same with the assistance of the Defense Council, which is set under his direct authority. The Emir shall represent the State internally and externally and in all international relations.

Society

25 % of the inhabitants in Qatar are originally from Qatar. Most of the Qataris are Najdi (central Arabian), though many are of Persian descent as well. Oil has brought a lot of money to Qatar and you can see it in the lifestyle and aspirations of the people. Flashy cars, luxurious hotels, glitzy shopping malls, international fashion labels – just to name a few. Qatar is more liberal than Saudi Arabia but is still not liberal by western standards. Women are veiled - most take the veil when they are around seven years old, and by adolescence they cover their body entirely with an al-darraa, a long black dress. They also wear a black mask, called al-battoulah, which covers all of the face except the eyes, nose and mouth. Qatari men wear a thobe, a long white shirt over loose pants. They also wear that symbol of the Arab world, a loose headdress called a gutra, held on with a black rope known as the agal. More and more women are seeking university degrees and gradually moving away from the hearth to the boardroom. They are allowed to vote and stand as candidates for the municipal elections – no woman has won an election yet. Most Qataris belong to a rigid sect of Islam (Wahhabi), which is also prevalent in Saudi Arabia. But the Qatari Islamic practice is less strict in comparison to a lot of Islamic countries - alcohol is available in Qatar and there is no prohibition on women driving cars.

Foreign Policy

Qatar is very keen to participate actively in the efforts to deal with all the concerns and challenges that the Gulf region encounters. It places increasing emphasis on supporting the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and spares no effort to bring about solidarity and strengthen ties of mutual trust and communication between Arab countries, propagates the wisdom of resorting to peaceful means in resolving all disputes among countries, approves the United Nations efforts to uphold peace and security and works to maintain good relations with all peace-loving people and countries.