Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, former PM of Qatar

Early life

Hamad was born in Doha, Qatar, on 30 August 1959. He is the fifth son of Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani. Through his father, he is the grandson of Jaber bin Mohammed Al Thani. Jaber was a younger brother of Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani, the founding father of modern Qatar.

Sanctions & controversy

In September 2025, Patrick McKillen and his firm filed a federal RICO lawsuit alleging that Hamad, members of his family, and associated Qatari entities orchestrated an extensive hacking and intimidation scheme targeting McKillen’s devices, personal data, and communications to pressure him into abandoning financial claims; the complaint also asserts that this cyber-intrusion campaign formed part of a broader effort to defraud McKillen by inducing him to manage and redevelop luxury-hotel assets while secretly intending to withhold the promised compensation.

Personal life

In 1982, Hamad married Sheikha Jawaher bint Fahad Al Thani. He subsequently married Sheikha Noor bint Abdulaziz Al Subaie, the daughter of the former minister of education, in 1996 as his second wife. He has 5 children, 4 sons and 1 daughter.

Sheikh Jaber bin Hamad Al Thani Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad Al Thani Sheikh Fahad bin Hamad Al Thani Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani Sheikha Maryam bint Hamad Al Thani

Career

Between 1982 and 1989, Hamad was the director of the office of the minister of municipal affairs and agriculture. In July 1989, he was appointed minister of municipal affairs and agriculture and in May 1990, he was appointed deputy minister of electricity and water along with his post as minister of municipal affairs and agriculture, where he supervised several successful projects and developed the agriculture sector. On 1 September 1992, Hamad was appointed as foreign minister of Qatar by Emir Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani. He retained his post when the Emir's son, Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani came to power in a coup in 1995. Hamad played an important role in the overthrow of Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani. On 16 September 2003, Hamad was appointed first deputy prime minister while retaining his position of minister of foreign affairs. On 2 April 2007, he was appointed as prime minister, following the resignation of Abdullah bin Khalifa Al Thani; Hamad also continued to serve as foreign minister. Hamad had vast foreign policy goals for Qatar during his tenure. Hamad was reported to have had strong connections with the US government. He serves on the International Advisory Council of the Brookings Institution and chairs the International Advisory Council of the Brookings Doha Center. He has stakes in many strong businesses such as Qatar Airways and the Foreign Investment Company, Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company, The Pearl Island and Harrods. He is a partner in Project Grande (Guernsey), the developer of One Hyde Park in London. Additionally, Hamad held several other key positions including member of the supreme defense council, which was established in 1996; head of Qatar's permanent committee for the support of al Quds, which was formed in 1998; member of the permanent constitution committee, formed in 1999; member of the ruling family council, which was established in 2000; and member of the supreme council for the investment of the reserves of the state, which was established in 2000.

A May 2008 diplomatic cable sent by then U.S. chargé d'affaires in Doha, alluded to a dispute between Hamad and the Qatari intelligence officials over a Qatari senior bank official imprisoned for 6 months over his role in funding Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (KSM), the al-Qaeda mastermind of September 11. The senior bank official was Khalifa Muhammad Turki al-Subaiy who financed KSM while working at Qatar Central Bank. The French government made Qatar under Hamad's guidance a strategic partner, and the list of partnerships between the two states includes Total, EADS, Technip, Air Liquide, Vinci SA, GDF Suez, and Areva. France was, during the Hamad government, the primary arms supplier to Qatar. In February 2009, under the Sarkozy government, France accorded special beyond-OCDE investment privileges to Qatar, its ruling family and its State-Owned Enterprises; one example of the privileges is capital gains exemptions in France. The US embassy to Doha claimed, in a cab