Qatar’s ruler makes top diplomat his new premier

Qatar’s ruler appointed Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani as prime minister on Tuesday, drawing on a diplomat who has helped the Gulf Arab state assert its outsize political influence abroad.

Sheikh Mohammed will continue to hold the role of foreign minister, a position he’s held since 2017, a statement from the royal court said. He replaced Khalid bin Khalifa Al Thani as prime minister. No reason was immediately given for the change.

Before HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani took the oath as Prime Minister at the Amiri Diwan. #QNAhttps://t.co/mixQklcMBn pic.twitter.com/dbl7IiianK

— Qatar News Agency (@QNAEnglish) March 7, 2023

As foreign minister, Sheikh Mohammed has played an important role in discussions between Qatar and European countries keen to secure supplies of Qatar’s liquefied natural gas after the Ukrainian crisis jolted energy markets. Qatar is one of the world’s top LNG exporters.

Sheikh Mohammed has also been chairman of the country’s sovereign wealth fund, Qatar Investment Authority, since November 2018.

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