Qatar - Improved Decision Making.

The decision makers in Qatar include young and capable figures embarking on bold moves. The line up at the top changed on Aug. 5, 2003, when Shaikh Hamad appointed Shaikh Tamim, one of his younger sons, as crown prince to replace Shaikh Jassem who had stepped down. Tamim, 30, graduated from the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, UK. He is president of the Qatar National Olympic Committee and the Doha Asian Games Organising Committee.

Shaikh Hamad bin Khalifa is advised by Shaikha Mouza bint Nasser al-Misnad, the second of his three wives. She has been behind emiri decisions giving Qatari women the right to vote and run for office. In October 2002 she opened Cornell University's medical school in Doha and made a speech, breaking one taboo. In April 2007, Shaikh Hamad reshuffled the cabinet and made his Foreign Minister Shaikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jaber PM to replace Shaikh Abdullah bin Khalifa. The new PM has retained the foreign affairs portfolio. In QP the number of skilled executives has increased. QP is one of the few NOCs in the Gulf to have Westerners among its executives (see omt12QatrWhoSep21-09).

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