On June 25, 2013, Emir Sheikh Hamad ibn Khalifah Al Thani abdicated the throne. His fourth son, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, age 33, succeeded him as Emir (Bureau of near Eastern Affairs, 2013). .
Geography:.
Qatar occupies 11,586 square kilometers on a peninsula that extends approximately 160 kilometers north into the Arabic Gulf from the Arabian Peninsula. Qatar varies in width between fifty-five and ninety kilometers, with mainly flat rocky lands (CIA World Factbook, 2013). Notable features include coastal salt pans, elevated limestone formations along the west coast under which lies the Dukhan oil field, and massive sand dunes surrounding Khawr al Udayd, an inlet of the gulf in the southeast known to local English speakers as the Inland Sea. Of the islands belonging to Qatar, Halul is the most important. Lying about ninety kilometers east of Doha, it serves as a storage area and loading terminal for oil from the surrounding offshore fields (Embassy of Qatar, 2012).
The capital, Doha, is located on the central east coast on a sweeping (if shallow) harbor. Other ports include Umm Said, Al Khawr, and Al Wakrah. Only Doha and Umm Said are capable of handling commercial shipping, although a large port and a terminal for loading natural gas are planned at Ras Laffan, north of Al Khawr (Embassy of Qatar, 2012). Coral reefs and shallow coastal waters make navigation difficult in areas where channels have not been dredged. Doha is the capital of the country and the major administrative, commercial, and population center. In 1993 it was linked to other towns and development sites by a system of about 1,000 kilometers of paved roads. Doha's international airport has an approximately 4,500-meter main runway, capable of receiving all kinds of aircraft (CIA World Factbook, 2013). The long summer is characterized by intense heat and alternating dryness and humidity; with temperatures exceeding 55° C.