Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani looked to ensure a smooth succession last week when he handed power to his son, Crown Prince Sheikh Tamim, in a rare abdication by a hereditary Gulf Arab ruler.
“The time has come to turn a new page in the journey of our nation and have a new generation carry out responsibilities … with their innovative ideas,” announced Sheikh Hamad, who overthrew his own father in a 1995 palace coup.
Gulf political analysts have said they anticipate no significant policy changes after the handover. Sheikh Tamim has already been involved in running the state under his father’s direction.
Although Qatar only has a population of two million, it is the world’s largest exporter of liquefied natural gas and a key player in Middle Eastern diplomacy.
Under Sheikh Hamad, the U.S. allied-country has been a high-profile supporter of the Arab Spring uprisings, but remains an absolutist monarchy itself. Sheikh Hamad has cracked down on dissent at home: in February a Qatari poet was jailed for 15 years for criticising the emir and attempting to incite revolt.
A Qatari official said that the transition of power, once announced, took immediate effect.
