Kumar Bahukhandi
PM Modi welcomed the Emir of Qatar-Photo-PMO
Tamim bin Hamad was made the Crown Prince in 2003 after returning to Qatar after completing higher education from Britain. After this, in 2009, he got the post of Deputy Commander in Chief in the army. He is considered to have played an important role in promoting sports in Qatar.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi broke protocol on Monday evening and reached Indira Gandhi Airport to receive Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani. Such occasions are rare when PM Modi himself goes to the airport to receive a foreign head of state. But the PM has shown a big heart to strengthen the relations between India and Qatar.
Emir of Qatar on a two-day visit to India
Qatar’s Emir Al-Thani has come to India on a two-day state visit. During this he will hold bilateral talks with PM Modi and important agreements can also be signed between the two countries. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the Emir of Qatar will be formally welcomed at the Rashtrapati Bhavan complex on Tuesday and after this he will have a meeting with PM Modi at Hyderabad House in Delhi. The Emir of Qatar will also meet President Draupadi Murmu.
Al-Thani has come on his second visit to India at the invitation of Prime Minister Modi. Earlier, he had visited Delhi in March 2015. In recent years, strong relations have been established between India and Qatar in many areas including trade, investment, energy, technology, culture. Some important agreements may also be signed on this visit. Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani is the 9th richest ruler in the world, he has assets worth about 335 billion dollars.
Who is Tamim bin Al-Thani
Born on June 3, 1980 in Doha, Qatar, Tamim bin Al-Thani became the Emir of Qatar on June 25, 2013 after his father Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani. Tamim bin Hamad, who has studied in Britain, has also served in the Qatar Army. 44-year-old Tamim is not only the youngest Emir of Qatar but is also counted among the youngest heads of state in the world. He has married three times and has 13 children from different wives.
On returning to Qatar after completing higher education from Britain, Tamim was made the Crown Prince in 2003. After this, in 2009, he got the post of Deputy Commander in Chief in the Army. Tamim, who is interested in sports, got global recognition after the successful organization of the Asian Games held in Qatar in 2006. After this, the 2022 FIFA World Cup was also organized in Qatar under his leadership.
Father resigned and made him Emir
In June 2013, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa resigned as Emir to his son Tamim. This power transfer was expected in Qatar, but this decision was definitely different from the pattern of leaders of Arab countries remaining in their posts for life. At the beginning of Tamim’s rule, Qatar’s relations with some neighboring countries also broke down and such countries withdrew from Qatar in 2014. In 2017, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain broke ties with Qatar and imposed economic sanctions.
After this, Emir Tamim turned Qatar’s business towards countries like Turkey, Iran, Kuwait and Oman. Amidst the tension, Tamim did not even attend the annual meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in 2018 and 2019. When he returned to the annual meeting in January 2021, he sat with the leaders there and signed a deal to restore relations and lift the sanctions.
It was because of the bilateral relations between Qatar and India that last year Qatar released eight former Indian naval personnel from jail. This decision of Qatar was considered a big diplomatic victory for India because these Indians were sentenced to death by the Qatari court. An important agreement was also reached between India and Qatar regarding LNG because the Gulf country has been the largest exporter of LNG in the world.
