In a carefully crafted transition, the Emir of Qatar, Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, has handed over power to his 33-year-old son.

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Qatar ruler hands power to son to mark 'new era'

In a carefully crafted transition, the Emir of Qatar, Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, has handed over power to his 33-year-old son. But as Lindsey Hilsum of Britain's Channel 4 News reports, the new ruler may face a tough job in keeping the tiny Gulf nation at the forefront of regional influence.

By Brian Murphy, The Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — With a few words in a short speech, Qatar's huge energy riches and its expanding political influence passed into the hands of a 33-year-old ruler Tuesday in a seamless transition from a region where old guard leaders have been toppled or besieged by the Arab Spring.
The transfer of power — made official in a brief statement by Qatar's outgoing emir — was stunning for both its simplicity and far-reaching repercussions.
It quietly brought a new generation to the forefront of Middle East affairs in an apparent Gulf-style riposte to the pressures for a new style of leadership inspired by the region's upheavals: More youthful and possibly more attuned to demands for a greater public voice in political decision-making.

The rise of the new emir, Sheik Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, also reorders the ruling fraternity among the Western-backed Gulf Arab leaders — most decades older than Sheik Tamim — and further boosts Qatar's image for bold-stroke policies that have produced crown jewels such as the Al-Jazeera TV network and serious challenges including its unwavering backing for Syrian rebels.
At its heart, however, the move is certain to be perceived as a direct swipe at traditions among the Gulf's other ruling dynasties that power can only be surrendered through death or palace coup — which is how Qatar's now-former emir, Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, took control in 1995 from his father.
Sheik Hamad, 61, used a televised address to note repeatedly the importance of shifting leadership to more youthful hands — an indirect acknowledgment of the demands for reforms opened by the Arab Spring, which began in 2011 with successful revolutions ousting leaders in Tunisia and Egypt and spread across the Arab world.
But shortly before handing over power, Sheik Hamad showed caution about moving too fast. He extended the term of the country's advisory panel, known as the Shura Council, the official Qatar News agency reported. It didn't say how long the term would last, but the move is likely to delay elections for a more powerful legislative body proposed for later this year.
"The future lies ahead of you, the children of this homeland, as you usher into a new era where young leadership hoists the banner," the outgoing emir said as he announced his abdication and the carefully crafted transition to the British-educated crown prince that has been rumored for weeks.
Qatar has given no official explanation on the transition, but Sheik Hamad is believed to be suffering from chronic health problems.

Qatar TV via AFP - Getty Images

An image from Qatar TV shows the new Emir of Qatar, 33-year-old Sheikh Tamim, shaking hands with his subjects as they swear allegiance to him after the abdication of his father, Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani.