Special to WorldTribune.com

ABU DHABI — A day after regime change, Qatar has retired its
powerful prime minister.

Qatar’s new emir, Tamim Bin Hamad has replaced the emirate’s leading
politician. Tamim formed a government that excluded Prime Minister Hamad Bin
Jassem Al Thani, who also served as foreign minister.

The 33-year-old Tamim appointed Interior Minister Abdullah Bin Nasser Al Thani as the new prime minister. Deputy Foreign Minister Khalid Al Attiyah
was promoted to foreign minister.

Later, Tamim, who for the last five years directed military and security policy, said Qatar would seek to improve relations with “all governments.” The new emir did not refer to Qatar’s support for the Sunni revolt in Syria, which strained relations with both Damascus and Iran.

“The state of Qatar has ties of fraternity and cooperation with the Arab brothers, namely, the Gulf Cooperation Council, which we seek to enhance our relationship with to the highest possible levels of integration,” Tamim said. “There is no alternative to the common interests and mutual respect in
relations between countries.”

“His Highness, the Emir Sheik Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, issued here
today an Emiri order accepting the resignation of HE Prime Minister and
Foreign Minister Sheik Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jabor Al Thani,” the official
Qatar News Agency said on June 26.

Tamim’s order came one day after he succeeded his father, Hamad, as
emir. Qatari sources said the new emir would dismiss the 53-year-old prime
minister, a cousin, as one of his first acts in power. Hamad had been premier since
2007.

The outgoing prime minister, also foreign minister since 1992, was
deemed the most powerful politician in the emirate. Hamad Bin Jassim, today
vice chairman of the Qatar Investment Authority, was said to have played a major
role in the 1995 coup in which Tamim’s grandfather was ousted.

Under the reshuffle, Qatar retained its energy minister, Mohammed Al
Sada. Al Sada was appointed in 2013 during a previous Cabinet shakeup. Al
Sherif Al Emadi was named finance minister.

  Abdullah Bin Nasser Al Thani, Hamad Bin Jassem Al Thani, Khalid Al Attiyah, Qatar seeks improved ties with ‘all governments’ as political upheaval continues, Tamim Bin Hamad