The man who brought Hamas to Doha has passed away

Very rare, if at all, are the cases in the Arab world where the throne is transferred, and this even before the ruler’s departure. Unique in this aspect is Qatar, where in June 2013, at the end of 18 years of rule, Emir Hamed transferred the position of Emir to his son Tamim, citing concerns such as concern for the younger generation or health problems. Hamed himself rose to power in a bloodless coup.

Today, the second wife and mother of Emir Tamim, Sheikha Moza, is seen as a significant figure in Doha and especially in the Qatari anti-Israeli activity, but the one who paved the way for senior Hamas officials to the country was greedy. About a year before the end of his position as emir, senior Hamas officials found themselves without shelter. Bashar Assad was furious at the criticism regarding the civil war in Syria, and showed them the way out. Following this, Hamed, a man with a deep relationship with Islamist elements, decided to invite them to Doha.

The alliance with Hamas

Among the prominent and well-known Hamas figures who found their place in Qatar thanks to him, there is, for example, Khaled Mashal. Moreover, Hamed did not hide his connection with even more extreme figures, such as Yusuf al-Qaradawi. The extreme Egyptian cleric who died about four years ago was a leader of the global Muslim Brotherhood movement, and he lived in Doha for many years – thanks to Hamad who granted him Qatari citizenship.

Hamad’s impact on the Muslim Brotherhood was dramatic, and not just as a host. During his time, the international presence of the Al Jazeera propaganda arm expanded – and his son Tamim received, in fact, a ready-made “product”. At the same time, since Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ascension to power in Turkey, the parties have joined forces, to such an extent that during the current emir’s time, the alliance between them even includes the stationing of Turkish permanent forces in Doha, to reinforce the meager local forces.

Externally, the roots of the Qatari diplomatic presence and influence lie in the Hamad period. The most well-known is the affair from 2010 in which Qatar won the hosting of the 2022 World Cup, amid harsh allegations regarding corruption and the appalling status of foreign workers in the country. But not only that, during his tenure Qatar Airways became a recognized international airline, and all the activities and influence were achieved, first and foremost, thanks to the transformation of Qatar into a LNG exporting powerhouse. This money has also served Hamas since the coup they carried out in the Strip in 2007. The former emir made sure since and until the end of his term of office to pour hundreds of millions of dollars into them in projects, including the hospital named after him in Gaza City.

In a totalitarian country like Qatar, the emir not only enjoys extensive powers, but no less than the great wealth from the international trade in natural gas. According to international estimates, the fortune of the former Emir Hamed was about 2-2.5 billion dollars, a “modest” amount in relation to Doha’s capabilities. The entire Al-Thani family and the Qatari wealth fund own assets of approximately 300-500 billion dollars. “May God grant him forgiveness and forgiveness,” the emir’s office in Doha said, while silently announcing four days of national mourning.