The powerful dynasty that governs the destinies of Qatar and “bought” the most expensive World Cup in history

Tamim’s image dominates small street food outlets, hotels, hairdressers and even merchandising shops. the emir of Qatar He is an omnipresent figure in this small state on the shores of the Persian Gulf. It will be his figure that dominates the opening ceremony of the World Cup this Sunday, which will be seen and followed by millions of spectators around the world.

A little over half a century ago, the Al Thani family lived in a two-story house near the sea, when the coast was only sand, boats and a few prospectors who still survived the pearl crisis. First it was oil and gas closer in time, which catapulted this small emirate to dispute power with its more powerful neighbors, such as Saudi Arabia, Iran and Iraq.

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In Tamim bin Hamad, but also in his predecessor, his father, Hamad bin Khalifa, it is explained why they have invested more than 200 billion dollars in recent years and the World Cup is just one step to enter the international arena.

In 1995, Hamad bin Khalifa deposed his father in a non-violent coup, until then the one who ruled the destinies of the family and the country, maintained a low profile and a policy of non-intervention, something that was liked by the Saudis. But soon after, everything changed on this peninsula, fifteen times smaller than Uruguay.

The current emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad.

Oil, gas, brands and soccer

Qatar’s breakthrough came in the mid-1990s, when it partnered with American and Japanese companies to become the world’s largest exporter of liquefied gas (LNG) and thus exploit the reserves they had discovered in the sea. The dollars started flowing in by the billions and then the Al Thani devised an ambitious expansion plan.

At the end of the last century, some of the symbols of the new country emerged, such as the chain Al Jazeerathe airline Qatar Airways, and the foundations were laid for the Qatar Investment Authority, the sovereign wealth fund that expands its arms throughout Europe, Asia and the United States.

Managed by the royal family, it has shares on the London Stock Exchange, in the automakers Volkswagen and Porsche, acquired iconic brands such as Harrods stores, Tiffany jewelry stores, the Hollywood Miramax studio, and participates in companies such as British Airways, Barclays banks and Credit Suisse, among many others around the planet. It is estimated that in the United Kingdom alone, where the current emir and a large part of the royal family were formed, more than 50 billion dollars have been invested.

But it was with football that the Al Thani opened their horizons even further. In 2005, Tamim founded Qatar Sport Investiments. One of his first coups was the purchase of a club in crisis, in which he spent close to a billion dollars and where he currently plays Leo Messi: Paris Saint-Germain. He also invested in Barcelona and dreams of taking his country to the Olympic Games.

Without a doubt, the transformative fact was to obtain, in 2010, the organization of this World Cup. It was a process marked by little transparency, with strong accusations of corruption, that of taking the World Cup to the desert, in a single city and where it was necessary to change until the start date. Despite fighting with federations from countries like the United States, Australia or Japan, Tamim kept going. Nothing stopped him from fulfilling the Qatar National Vision 2030 plan, where the new country is aiming.

Leader of the new generation

“It must be taken into account that Tamim came to power after the abdication of his father Hamad in 2013. Some consider that the abdication would have been a consequence of the foreign policy that Qatar implemented in the various conflicts of the Arab spring, which confronted Qatar mainly with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Therefore, Tamim had barely been in office for 4 years when the blockade of his neighbors began, which for some was an attempt to set the limits for the new emir, ”he explains to The nation from Doha Luciano Zaccaraan Argentine specialist in Arab and Islamic Studies who is currently Professor at the Center for Gulf Studies at Qatar University.

And he expands on the figure of the monarch who governs the political and economic destinies of the country: “Tamim is well liked and respected among the Qatarisespecially after the blockade that the country suffered between 2017 and 2020. The fact that Qatar has not, in principle, accepted any of the demands of the quartet made up of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt made it strengthen its position as leader both in Qatar and in the regional context”.

For Guillermo Nicolás, a career diplomat specializing in the Middle East and current Argentine ambassador in Doha, Tamim’s promotion took place “so that the entire process that would lead to the arrival of the World Cup would be led by a new generation of leaders, with ideas and new projects. All of them trained abroad. And he stands out before the consultation of The nation that the figure of the emir “He represents the new generation and modernity by Persian Gulf standards and a much kinder face to the Western world.”

Three women and a life of luxury

Although Tamim seeks to appear in the eyes of the West as a moderate leader, He is also known for his opulent life. His family owns the most expensive residence in the United Kingdom, for which he paid US$150 million in central London; and they estimate that they own more properties than the British royal family in the capital of that country.

The emir, 42, he has three wives. However, to show himself as a Westernized leader, he usually makes state visits with the first of them, Jawaher Bint Hamad. On the recent visit to Spain, both dressed without their traditional Arab costumes and were received with true honors: Tamin announced that he would increase energy investments by up to US$4.7 billion. The Qatari royal family also enjoys spend the summer in the warm waters of the Spanish Mediterranean. He usually shows himself without prejudice in Mallorca, with a large entourage, luxury cars and a private jet. There they usually take their luxurious yacht, one of the most expensive in the world, valued at more than 200 million dollars.

Relationship with Argentina, Macri and Gaudio

Tamim maintains a good relationship with former President Mauricio Macri, whom he visited in Buenos Aires in 2018. There They signed agreements related to the suppression of diplomatic visas and three memorandums on education, sports and production and employment. Later, they shared a barbecue. That relationship was created through the figure of the former Roland Garros champion Gaston Gaudio, who participated in various businesses associated with Qatar. At that time, Tamim had explained that his country was seeking to join Vaca Muerta through energy projects.

The Argentine ambassador in Qatar maintains that the relationship between the two countries currently it’s very good”, although he clarifies that it is more positive in political than economic terms. “The commercial relationship is less intense than with other countries in the region. Argentine exports do not exceed 35 million dollars per year in the last three years. Imports are much more important because we buy LNG and that causes the balance to be in deficit with Qatar”, he points out.

With the help of millions and an unlimited plan for the future, the Al Thani will be the center of world attention from this Sunday and for a month.

For the expert Zaccara, “Qatar has become a relevant player in the Middle East after Hamad came to power in 1995. The creation of Al Jazeera It allowed Qatar to be placed on the map and attracted millions of viewers, mainly from the Arab world. In a conflictive regional context and in which the large Arab states represent a certain threat to the small ones, this ‘branding’ and ‘soft power’ strategy guaranteed Qatar not only to be protected against potential or real external threats, but also to become into a mediator in regional conflicts, with influence over the political elites of other countries in the region”.

By Federico Aguila

Source: Elcomercio