Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani

Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, born June 3, 1980, in Doha, has served as the Emir of Qatar since June 25, 2013, when his father, Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, handed over power in a televised speech, making Tamim the first Qatari ruler to come to power through abdication rather than the bloodless coups that had marked earlier successions in the ruling family. He had been named heir apparent in 2003 after his elder brother stepped aside. Under his rule Qatar hosted the 2022 FIFA World Cup and has continued to pursue an active regional mediating role in Gulf and wider Middle Eastern diplomacy.