Last Tuesday, Qatar's state news agency reported that the country's Prime Minister Abdullah bin Nasser Al Thani resigned from his position. He is replaced by Khalid bin Khalifa Al Thani who is now the country's new Prime Minister. Abdullah bin Nasser Al Thani served the nation as the Prime Minister since June 2013.
Khalid bin Khalifa Al Thani, on the other hand, was heading the Emir's court until appointed as the new Prime Minister. He is also selected as the new minister of interior. The news agency further informed that the reason for the Prime Minister's resignation is unknown.
Qatar is yet to resolve the ongoing diplomatic crisis, which is continuing for the last three years with its neighboring nations, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt. Thus, it is a delicate time for the government when this new Prime Minister's appointment took place.
Middle East's most significant and largest U.S military base is located in Qatar. The nation also shares the largest natural gas field in the world with Iran. However, recent tensions between the USA and Iran, which are rising is an area of concern for Qatar.
Andreas Krieg, Qatari military’s former advisor and lecturer at the King's College in London, said, “There were rumors Abdullah bin Nasser wanted to resign. The new prime minister “has proven himself to be an excellent manager able to balance different interests while heading the Diwan since 2014. The Diwan, in many ways, is like managing a cabinet.”
Khalid bin Khalifa Al Thani: A brief history
Born in 1968, Khalid bin Khalifa Al Thani was serving the nation since 2006. In 2014 he was appointed as the chief of the Amiri Diwan. It is an essential office that intermediates interactions between government and external entities with the countries Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. This information is available on the Diwan’s website.
King's College London assistant professor David B. Roberts said, “As the chief of the Diwan and the director of Tamim’s office as crown prince, Khalid bin Khalifa is definitionally one of Tamim’s key confidants.”
On the other hand, last Tuesday, as the announcement was made public, there is a slight drop of 0.6% in the Qatar Exchange Index’s benchmark. However, there is a 0.7% drop registered for the MSCI Emerging Markets Index.
According to the latest report, there'll be no change in other ministry departments like foreign affairs, defense, finance, and energy. It is also announced that Major General Abdulaziz bin Faisal bin Mohammed Al Thani will now lead the country's internal security force.
