Qatar: Influential Emir To Hand Over Power

The ruler of Qatar, the tiny Gulf state that has played a key role in the Arab spring, is to transfer power to his son in a surprise move.

The emir will hand over to his 33-year-old heir in a rare transition of authority in the Arab world where most leaders remain until death.

It is unclear whether health issues of the 61-year-old ruler - Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al Thani - played a role in the decision.

Qatar has served as a powerful player in the Middle East, providing key support for rebels in Libya last year and now in Syria and for the Muslim Brotherhood, which rose to political dominance in Egypt.

The Taliban recently opened an office in Qatar

The move will usher a new generation into leadership ranks dominated by old guard figures, such as the 90-year-old King Abdullah in Saudi Arabia.

No major policy shifts are expected when Hamad steps down. The British-schooled crown prince, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani, has been closely involved in all key decisions in recent years and the emir is likely to play important roles from the wings.

Diplomats said that over the past three years the emir has increasingly transferred military and security responsibilities to Tamim, who like his father went to the British military academy Sandhurst.

The peninsula holds the world's third largest gas reserves and produces roughly 77 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas per year, making it the world's largest supplier.

It also controls a powerful media empire through Al-Jazeera, and earlier this year bought struggling US cable channel Current TV in preparation for the launch of Al-Jazeera America.

Qatar's reach is extended by its global investment strategies - ranging from sports clubs such as football's Paris Saint-Germain to aid for debt-burdened Greece and Italy.

The state hosted a Syrian opposition conference this week attended by US Secretary of State John Kerry and is the venue for possible US-led peace talks with Afghanistan's Taliban.

The power transfer is the first major shift of rule among the Western-allied Gulf Arab states since a contentious transition in Kuwait in early 2006.

The royal palace announced that a statement would be made at 8am local time on Tuesday, and an official confirmed that the transfer of power would be announced.

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