Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani

Tamim bin Hamad was born on 3 June 1980 in Doha, Qatar. He is the fourth son of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, and second son of Sheikha Moza bint Nasser Al-Missned, Hamad's second wife. Tamim was educated at the UK's Sherborne School (International College) in Dorset, and at Harrow School, where he sat his A-Levels in 1997. He then attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, graduating in 1998.

Sheikh Tamim was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Qatar Armed Forces upon graduation from Sandhurst. He became the heir apparent to the Qatari throne on 5 August 2003, when his elder brother Sheikh Jassim renounced his claim to the title. Since then he was groomed to take over rule, working in top security and economics posts. On 5 August 2003, he was appointed deputy commander-in-chief of Qatar's armed forces.

Sheikh Tamim promoted sport as part of Qatar's bid to raise its international profile. In 2005 he founded Oryx Qatar Sports Investments, which owns Paris Saint-Germain F.C. among other investments. In 2006, he chaired the organizing committee of the 15th Asian Games in Doha. Under his leadership, all member countries attended the event for the first time in its history. That year's Al Ahram voted Tamim "the best sport personality in the Arab world". Under his guidance, Qatar won the rights to host the 2014 FINA Swimming World Championships and the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Tamim is chairman of the National Olympic Committee. At the 113th session of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in February 2002, he was elected as a member of the IOC. He headed Doha's bid for the 2020 Olympics. The country hosted the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Qatar is estimated to have spent around $200 billion on infrastructure in preparation for the event.

The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) Evaluation Committee completed its tour to Doha in November 2020, and confirmed that the city will have much to offer for the Asian Games, and that they were satisfied with the prioritizing and support from Tamim. At the 39th General Assembly of the OCA, President Ahmed Al-Fahad Al-Ahmed Al-Sabah announced that Doha would host the 2030 Asian Games.

Sheikh Tamim heads the Qatar Investment Authority board of directors. Under his leadership, the fund has invested billions in British businesses. It owns large stakes in Barclays Bank, Sainsbury's, and Harrods. The fund also owns a 95% share of Europe's fourth tallest building, the Shard, a skyscraper in London.

Tamim has also held a number of other posts, including:

Head of the Upper Council of the Environment and Natural Sanctuaries.

Chairman of the Supreme Council for the Environment and Natural Reserves.

Chairman of the Supreme Education Council.

Chairman of the Supreme Council of Information and Communication Technology.

Chairman of the board of directors of Public Works Authority (Ashghal) and the Urban Planning and Development Authority (UPDA).

Chairman of the board of regents of Qatar University.

Deputy chairman of the Ruling Family Council.

Vice president of the Supreme Council for Economic Affairs and Investment.

Deputy chairman of the High Committee for Coordination and Follow Up.

Member of "Sports for All".

Sheikh Tamim married his first wife and second cousin, Sheikha Jawaher bint Hamad Al Thani, on 8 January 2005. They have four children, two sons and two daughters:

Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani (born 15 January 2006)

Sheikh Hamad bin Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani (born 20 October 2008)

Sheikha Aisha bint Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani (born 24 August 2010)

Sheikh Jassim bin Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani (born 12 June 2012)

Sheikh Tamim married a second wife, Sheikha Al-Anoud bint Mana Al Hajri, on 3 March 2009. She is the daughter of Mana bin Abdul Hadi Al Hajri, former Qatari Ambassador to Jordan. They have five children, three daughters and two sons:

Sheikha Naylah bint Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani (born 27 May 2010)

Sheikh Abdullah bin Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani (born 29 September 2012)

Sheikha Rodha bint Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani (born January 2014)

Sheikh Alqaqa'a bin Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani (born 3 October 2015)

Sheikha Moza bint Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani (born 19 May 2018)

On 25 February 2014, Sheikh Tamim married a third wife, Sheikha Noora bint Hathal Al Dosari. They have four children, three sons and one daughter:

Sheikh Joa'an bin Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani (born 27 March 2015)

Sheikh Mohammed bin Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani (born 17 July 2017)

Sheikh Fahad bin Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani (born 16 June 2018)

Sheikha Hind bint Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani (born 5 February 2020)

In total he has thirteen children born between 2006 and 2020; seven sons and six daughters, from three wives.

Tamim participates in competitive sport. He has been filmed playing badminton and bowling with former Egyptian military chief Mohamed Hussein Tantawi. He has a strong interest in history and his nation's heritage. He is fluent in Arabic, English and French.