Abdullah bin Khalifa Al Thani ( ar, عبد الله بن خليفة آل ثاني; born 11 February 1958) was Prime Minister of Qatar from 29 October 1996 to 3 April 2007. He served as an advisor to the

Emir Emir (; ar, أمير ' ), sometimes transliterated amir, amier, or ameer, is a word of Arabic origin that can refer to a male monarch, aristocrat, holder of high-ranking military or political office, or other person possessing actual or cerem ...

and often represented him at ceremonial events and receptions.

Early years and education

Abdullah Al Thani is the eldest son of the former and 8th Emir of Qatar,

Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad bin Abdullah bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani ( ar, خليفة بن حمد آل ثاني; 17 September 1932 – 23 October 2016) was the Emir of Qatar from 27 February 1972 until he was deposed by his son Hamad bin ...

, and his third wife, Sheikha Rudha bint Jassim bin Jabr Al Thani. He is the 3rd son of his father. Sheikh Abdullah is the younger half-brother of

Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa bin Hamad bin Abdullah bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani ( ar, حمد بن خليفة الثاني; born 1 January 1952) is a member of the ruling Al Thani Qatari royal family. He was the ruling Emir of Qatar from 1995 ...

, the former Emir of Qatar. Sheikh Abdullah received his school education in

Qatar Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it sh ...

, earned his secondary school certificate in 1975, and graduated from the

Royal Military Academy Sandhurst The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst (RMAS or RMA Sandhurst), commonly known simply as Sandhurst, is one of several military academies of the United Kingdom and is the British Army's initial officer training centre. It is located in the town of ...

in December 1976.

Career

After graduation Sheikh Abdullah joined the armed forces of Qatar and held many senior military posts up to 1989 when he was appointed assistant commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, in the rank of lieutenant colonel. In 1979 Abdullah was appointed chairman of Qatar Olympic committee, and held this post until 1989. On 17 July 1989, he was named

minister of the interior An interior minister (sometimes called a minister of internal affairs or minister of home affairs) is a cabinet official position that is responsible for internal affairs, such as public security, civil registration and identification, emergency ...

. In addition to this post on 11 July 1995 he became deputy prime minister. On 29 October 1996, he was appointed prime minister and continued to assume his interior portfolio until 2 January 2001. On 3 April 2007, he resigned and was replaced by then foreign minister Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabr Al Thani as prime minister."Qatar's emir appoints new PM"
, Middle East Online, 3 April 2007.

Personal life

Abdullah has six sons: Hamad, Suhaim, Tamim, Fahad, Mohammad and Khalifa. He speaks English and French fluently. Abdullah owns several racehorses and as of 2012 he won EUR 2,070,043.78 prize money.

References

External links

Qatar Ministry of Foreign Affairs
1958 births Living people Qatari Muslims Prime Ministers of Qatar Abdullah bin Khalifah Al Thani Interior ministers of Qatar Deputy Prime Minister of Qatar {{Qatar-politician-stub