The Qatari Amiri Guard ( ar, الحرس الأميري), also spelled as the Emiri Guard is an elite

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

protection unit of the

Qatari Armed Forces The Qatar Armed Forces ( ar, القوات المسلحة القطرية, Al-Quwwat Al-Musallahah Al-Qatariyyah) are the military forces of the State of Qatar. Since 2015, Qatar has implemented mandatory military conscription with an average of ...

. Their barracks are located in downtown

Doha Doha ( ar, الدوحة, ad-Dawḥa or ''ad-Dōḥa'') is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor, it is home to most of the coun ...

Activities

Protective services

The unit's primary responsibilities include ensuring the security of the

Emir of Qatar The Emir, or Amir, of the State of Qatar ( ar, أمیر دولة قطر) is the monarch and head of state of the country. He is also the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces and guarantor of the Constitution. He holds the most powerful positio ...

and the

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 ...

. Members of the unit stand guard at the Emir's residence in the capital of

and escort the

head of state A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representatitve of its international persona." in its unity and l ...

to different events.

Ceremonial duties

The unit provides

public duties Public duties are performed by military personnel, and usually have a ceremonial or historic significance rather than an overtly operational role. Armenia Since September 2018, the Honour Guard Battalion of the Ministry of Defense of Armenia has ...

on behalf of the entire military. It provides guards of honor during military ceremonies (e.g.

military parades A military parade is a formation of soldiers whose movement is restricted by close-order manoeuvering known as drilling or marching. The military parade is now almost entirely ceremonial, though soldiers from time immemorial up until the lat ...

state visits A state visit is a formal visit by a head of state to a foreign country, at the invitation of the head of state of that foreign country, with the latter also acting as the official host for the duration of the state visit. Speaking for the host ...

, and funeral honors). It uses British style honor guard rituals when providing a general salute or conducting any commands in general. Members of the guard are annual participants in the Qatari National Day Parade.

Assets

*The Amiri Guard maintains a guard school at Barzan Camp that serves as a training center for potential recruits. Outside of Qatari forces, troops from the

Kuwait Military Forces The Kuwait Military Forces ( ar, القوات المسلحة الكويتية, Al-Quwwat Al-Musallahah Al-Kuwaitiyah) are the military forces of the State of Kuwait. They consist of the Kuwait Air Force, the Kuwait Army, the Kuwait Navy & the K ...

also have been trained here. *The Amiri Guard Heliport is maintained in Ar-Rayyan. *To the south of the village of

Lehsiniya Lehsiniya ( ar, لحصين; also spelled Al Hassaniya) is a village in Qatar located in the municipality of Al-Shahaniya. It is near the eastern border with Al Rayyan Municipality. Etymology The name "Lehsiniya" originates from the Arabic word " ...

is a shooting range for the Amiri Guard. *The guard has its own headquarters building to operate out of in the capital city. It currently accommodates three companies of 70 guards.

International Cooperation

The guard has had multiple opportunities to engage with its foreign counterparts. During a visit of Amiri Guard Commander Major General Hazza bin Khalil al-Shahwani to the Pakistani capital of

Islamabad Islamabad (; ur, , ) is the capital city of Pakistan. It is the country's ninth-most populous city, with a population of over 1.2 million people, and is federally administered by the Pakistani government as part of the Islamabad Capital T ...

, discussions of cooperation in the military field was held with President

Arif Alvi Arif-ur-Rehman Alvi (; born 29 July 1949) is a Pakistani dentist and politician currently serving as the 13th President of Pakistan, in office since 9 September 2018. He was a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan from June 2013 to May 2 ...

. In January 2020, the guard launched the two-week ''Al Kawaser 2'' drill with the

Sultan's Special Forces The Sultan's Special Force (SSF) — Arabic: قوات السلطان الخاصة, transliterated: ''Qawat al-Sultaniya al-Khasah'' is a separate force branch within the Sultan's Armed Forces (SAF) and although equipped to carry out land defe ...

Oman Oman ( ; ar, عُمَان ' ), officially the Sultanate of Oman ( ar, سلْطنةُ عُمان ), is an Arabian country located in southwestern Asia. It is situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, and spans the mouth of t ...

Sources