Sheikh
Sheikh (pronounced or ; ar, شيخ ' , mostly pronounced , plural ' )—also transliterated sheekh, sheyikh, shaykh, shayk, shekh, shaik and Shaikh, shak—is an honorific title in the Arabic language. It commonly designates a chief of a ...
Mohammed bin Abdulla Al Thani ( ar, الشيخ محمد بن عبدالله آل ثاني; born 16 June 1982), known as Moe Al Thani, is a
Qatari
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 ...
-
Emirati sheikh
Sheikh (pronounced or ; ar, شيخ ' , mostly pronounced , plural ' )—also transliterated sheekh, sheyikh, shaykh, shayk, shekh, shaik and Shaikh, shak—is an honorific title in the Arabic language. It commonly designates a chief of a ...
,
philanthropist
Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives, for the Public good (economics), public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private goo ...
,
management professional and
sportsman. He is known for being the first
Qatari
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 ...
to have climbed
Mount Everest
Mount Everest (; Tibetan: ''Chomolungma'' ; ) is Earth's highest mountain above sea level, located in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas. The China–Nepal border runs across its summit point. Its elevation (snow heig ...
and reached the
Seven Summits
The Seven Summits are the highest mountains of each of the seven traditional continents. Climbing to the summit of all of them is regarded as a mountaineering challenge, first achieved on 30 April 1985 by Richard Bass. Climbing the Seven Summits a ...
, the South Pole as well as Ama Dablam.
Early life and education
As son of Sheikh Abdullah bin Muhammad bin
Ali
ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib ( ar, عَلِيّ بْن أَبِي طَالِب; 600 – 661 CE) was the last of four Rightly Guided Caliphs to rule Islam (r. 656 – 661) immediately after the death of Muhammad, and he was the first Shia Imam ...
al Thani, Sheikh Mohammed is a member of the Qatari
House of Al Thani
The House of Thani ( ar, الثاني , translit=Al Thani) is the ruling family of Qatar, with origins tracing back to the Banu Tamim tribal confederation.
History and structure
The Al Thanis can be traced back to Mudar bin Nizar. The tribe ...
as well as the Emirati
Al-Qasimi
Al Qasimi ( ar, القواسم, spelled sometimes as Al Qassimi or Al Qassemi; plural: Al Qawasem ar, القواسم and, archaically, Joasmee) is an Arab dynasty in the Persian Gulf that rules Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah, today forming two of ...
royal family though his paternal grandmother, who is the sister of the
current Emir of Sharjah.
Sheikh Mohammed graduated from the
American University of Sharjah
American University of Sharjah (abbreviated AUS; ar, الجامعة الأمريكية في الشارقة) is a private university in the United Arab Emirates. It was founded in 1997 by Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and ...
with a
Bachelors of Science
Bachelors of Science is the stage name of Phil "Rene" Collis, Chris Doe and Lukeino Argilla. They met in California and formed a successful act, quickly becoming one of the top drum and bass producers in the electronic music scene. Focusing pri ...
in Marketing and Accounting and a
Master of Business Administration
A Master of Business Administration (MBA; also Master's in Business Administration) is a postgraduate degree focused on business administration. The core courses in an MBA program cover various areas of business administration such as accounti ...
(MBA). He studied
Business Administration
Business administration, also known as business management, is the administration of a commercial enterprise. It includes all aspects of overseeing and supervising the business operations of an organization. From the point of view of management ...
extensively at
Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School (HBS) is the graduate business school of Harvard University, a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts. It is consistently ranked among the top business schools in the world and offers a large full-time MBA p ...
, receiving Alumni Status.
Mountaineering
Sheikh Mohammed became the first Qatari to reach the summit of
Mount Everest
Mount Everest (; Tibetan: ''Chomolungma'' ; ) is Earth's highest mountain above sea level, located in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas. The China–Nepal border runs across its summit point. Its elevation (snow heig ...
on 22 May 2013. He is the first Qatari man to reach the
Seven Summits
The Seven Summits are the highest mountains of each of the seven traditional continents. Climbing to the summit of all of them is regarded as a mountaineering challenge, first achieved on 30 April 1985 by Richard Bass. Climbing the Seven Summits a ...
;
reach "the bottom of the world" and "ski the last degree" to the South Pole in commemoration of Qatar’s National Day on 18 December 2012; and summit
Ama Dablam
Ama Dablam is a mountain in the eastern Himalayan range of Province No. 1, Nepal. The main peak is , the lower western peak is . Ama Dablam means "Mother's necklace"; the long ridges on each side like the arms of a mother (''ama'') protecting he ...
, at an altitude of 6812 meters, on 11 November 2020.
During the Everest climb, he was part of a four-member group called ''Arabs with Altitude'', which included the first Palestinian man,
Raed Zidan
Raed Zidan is the first Palestinian man to summit Mount Everest and the first Palestinian man to reach all Seven Summits
Early life
Zidan was born in Kuwait to Palestinian emigrants. His parents emigrated from Kufr Lakef, Palestine, near Qalqily ...
, the first Saudi woman
Raha Moharrak and Iranian, Masoud Mohammed, to reach the summit of
Mount Everest
Mount Everest (; Tibetan: ''Chomolungma'' ; ) is Earth's highest mountain above sea level, located in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas. The China–Nepal border runs across its summit point. Its elevation (snow heig ...
. ''Arabs with Altitude'' received global media coverage upon their return from Mount Everest.
Al Thani is currently dedicated to becoming the first Qatari to reach the
Explorers Grand Slam
The Explorer's Grand Slam is an adventurer goal to reach the North Pole and South Pole, as well as climb the Seven Summits (Everest, Aconcagua, Denali, Kilimanjaro, Elbrus, Vinson, and Puncak Jaya or Kosciuszko). Purists also include a subma ...
(conquering the 7 summits and the South and the North Pole). He is on the last leg of a long journey to gain the Grand Slam title, becoming one of only 50 people in history and the first Qatari to ever reach this title.
Record of mountaineering
Sheikh Mohammed´s record as a mountaineer included the following achievements:
* Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania - 5895 meters (March 2010)
* Mont Blanc, France - 4810 meters (September 2011)
* Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania - 5895 meters (November 2011)
* Mount Vinson, Antarctica - 4892 meters (December 2012)
* Mount Elbrus, Russia - 5642 meters (August 2012)
* Mount Kosciuszko, Australia - 2228 meters (October 2012)
* Mount Aconcagua, Argentina - 6962 meters (January 2013)
* Mount Everest, Nepal/Tibet - 8850 meters (May 2013)
* Denali, United States - 6144 meters (May 2016)
* Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania - 5895 meters (March 2018)
* Everest Base Camp, Nepal - 5364 meters (April 2019)
* Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania - 5895 meters (February 2020)
* Mount Ama Dablam, Nepal - 6812 meters (November 2020)
* Denali, United States - 6144 meters (May 2016)
* Kangchenjunga, India - 8586 meters (May 2022)
* K2, Pakistan - 8611 meters (July 2023)
Philanthropy
Al Thani climbed as a brand ambassador for
Reach Out To Asia, state-led non-profit organization and part of the
Qatar Foundation
Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development ( ar, مؤسسة قطر) is a state-led non-profit organization in Qatar, founded in 1995 by then-emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and his second wife Moza bint Nasser. Qatar Founda ...
, that raises funds to uplift Asia and parts of the Middle East. Al Thani's goal was to raise one million dollars for education projects in Nepal.
Sheikh Mohammed also successfully led from 2 to 12 October 2014, the "Elevate to Educate" fundraising trip for a group of 12 young Qataris to the Summit of
Kilimanjaro
Mount Kilimanjaro () is a dormant volcano in Tanzania. It has three volcanic cones: Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira. It is the highest mountain in Africa and the highest free-standing mountain above sea level in the world: above sea level and ab ...
.
Management and leadership
Al Thani is a Doha-based entrepreneur and motivational public speaker. He is one of the young prominent leaders in the Gulf region, with a focus on fitness, hospitality, and tourism.
In August 2007, Al Thani founded the travel website Musafir.com and Twisted Olive, a contemporary bistro with modern comfort food, inside Burj Doha, Qatar in 2020 as well as Altitude Elite, a boutique personalized-training studio in Lusail, Qatar in 2019. .
Vodafone Qatar
Sheikh Mohammed served as a board member of
Vodafone Qatar from year 2013-2016.
Air Arabia
In 2011 he became part of the board of directors of
Air Arabia
Air Arabia ( ar, العربية للطيران ''al-ʿArabiyya Lit-Ṭayarān'') is an Emirati low-cost airline with its head office in the A1 Building Sharjah Freight Center, Sharjah International Airport, UAE. The airline operates scheduled se ...
alongside his father Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed al Thani.
Chairmanships
Sheikh Mohammed held several Chairmanships, which include:
*Air Arabia
*Gamma Aviation Middle East
*AM Holding Company
*SASCO
*Santos International Company
*Ascent Advertising Company
*Universal Tourism Company
Deputy chairmanships
*Sharjah Golf and Shooting Club
Memberships
*
Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) Qatar Chapter - 2018
*
The Explorers Club
The Explorers Club is an American-based international multidisciplinary professional society with the goal of promoting scientific exploration and field study. The club was founded in New York City in 1904, and has served as a meeting point fo ...
- 2016
Sharjan administration
In the field of political administration, Sheikh Mohammed was appointed as Director General of the Sharjah Statistics Centre in January 2012. He also served as a chairman of the Department of Community Development of the
Emirate of Sharjah
The Emirate of Sharjah (; ar, إِمَارَة ٱلشَّارِقَة ') is one of the emirates of the United Arab Emirates, which covers and has a population of over 1,400,000 (2015). It comprises the capital city of Sharjah, after which it ...
and member of the Executive Council of the
Emirate of Sharjah
The Emirate of Sharjah (; ar, إِمَارَة ٱلشَّارِقَة ') is one of the emirates of the United Arab Emirates, which covers and has a population of over 1,400,000 (2015). It comprises the capital city of Sharjah, after which it ...
, being appointed by his granduncle
Emir Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi of
Sharjah
Sharjah (; ar, ٱلشَّارقَة ', Gulf Arabic: ''aš-Šārja'') is the third-most populous city in the United Arab Emirates, after Dubai and Abu Dhabi, forming part of the Dubai-Sharjah-Ajman metropolitan area.
Sharjah is the capital o ...
. He was notwithstanding this appointed by his
granduncle as the head of his office at the
American University of Sharjah
American University of Sharjah (abbreviated AUS; ar, الجامعة الأمريكية في الشارقة) is a private university in the United Arab Emirates. It was founded in 1997 by Sultan bin Muhammad Al-Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and ...
.
Filmography
Al Thani is featured in The Seventh Summit, a documentary that follows a group of men and one woman in their attempt to make it to the top of Mount Denali in Alaska. Among the climbers are Qatar’s own Sheikh Mohammed Al-Thani and Raed Zadan, respectively the first Qatari and the first Palestinian to climb Mount Everest; Iranian Massoud Kalafji; and Suzanne Al Houby, the first Arab woman to scale Everest.
He is also featured in Seal of Approval, which follows the Arabs with Altitude as they summit Mount Everest.
Al Thani made a documentary on the COVID-19 pandemic impact on the Nepali people who rely on the mountaineering industry.
Amu Dablam - The rebirth
/ref>
Hereditary titles
*Sheikh
Sheikh (pronounced or ; ar, شيخ ' , mostly pronounced , plural ' )—also transliterated sheekh, sheyikh, shaykh, shayk, shekh, shaik and Shaikh, shak—is an honorific title in the Arabic language. It commonly designates a chief of a ...
(House of Thani
The House of Thani ( ar, الثاني , translit=Al Thani) is the ruling family of Qatar, with origins tracing back to the Banu Tamim tribal confederation.
History and structure
The Al Thanis can be traced back to Mudar bin Nizar. The tribe ...
and Qasimi)
*Sayyid
''Sayyid'' (, ; ar, سيد ; ; meaning 'sir', 'Lord', 'Master'; Arabic plural: ; feminine: ; ) is a surname of people descending from the Prophets in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad through his grandsons, Hasan ibn Ali and Husayn ibn Ali ...
(Descendant of Prophet Muhammad
Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the monoth ...
through Ali al-Naqi
ʿAlī ibn Muḥammad al-Hādī ( ar, عَلِيّ ٱبْن مُحَمَّد ٱلْهَادِي; 828 – 868 CE) was a descendant of the Islamic prophet Muhammad and the tenth of the Twelve Imams, succeeding his father, Muhammad al-Jawad. He ...
)
See also
*Hassan bin Mohamed bin Ali Al Thani
Sheikh Hassan bin Mohamed bin Ali Al Thani (born in 1960 in Doha) A prominent member of the Qatari royal family and the grandson of the former King of Qatar is a Qatari artist, collector, researcher, and educator in the field of modern art from th ...
, uncle
* Ahmed Al-Maktoum, Emirati royal with a sports career
* Sultan Masood Dakik, Afghan Royal descendant of Muhammad
Muhammad ( ar, مُحَمَّد; 570 – 8 June 632 Common Era, CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Muhammad in Islam, Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet Divine inspiration, di ...
with a sports career
*Aga Khan IV
Shāh Karim al-Husayni (born 13 December 1936), known by the religious title Mawlānā Hazar Imam by his Ismaili followers and elsewhere as Aga Khan IV, is the 49th and current Imam of Nizari Ismailis, a denomination within Shia Islam. He ha ...
, Iranian Royal with a sports career
References
External links
Official website of Moe Al Thani
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thani, Mohammed Abdulla Al
1982 births
Living people
Summiters of Mount Everest
Qatari businesspeople
People from the Emirate of Sharjah
Qatari people of Emirati descent
Qatari expatriates in the United Arab Emirates
American University of Sharjah alumni