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Hamad bin Thamer Al Thani

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Hamad bin Thamer Al Thani
NationalityQatari
EducationQatar University (BA, Journalism, 1987)
OccupationMedia executive
CompanyAl Jazeera Media Network; Qatar Media Corporation
TitleChairman of the Board of Directors, Al Jazeera Media Network; President, Qatar Media Corporation

Sheikh Hamad bin Thamer Al Thani (Arabic: حمد بن ثامر آل ثاني) is a Qatari media executive who has been chairman of the board of directors of Al Jazeera Media Network since the founding of the original Al Jazeera satellite channel in the mid-1990s. He also heads the Qatar Media Corporation, the state body that runs Qatar Television, the Alkass sports channels and the country's official radio stations.[1][2]

Al Thani studied journalism at Qatar University, graduating in 1987, and spent the late 1980s and early 1990s in Qatar's Ministry of Information, where he rose to the post of undersecretary. When the ministry was abolished, Al Thani was given responsibility for the project that became Al Jazeera, which began broadcasting in November 1996.[1][3] He has remained chairman through the channel's growth into a multi-channel network, including its renaming as Al Jazeera Media Network ahead of the 2006 launch of Al Jazeera English.[1]

Al Thani has been the network's main public voice at formal occasions, including the annual Al Jazeera Forum and the network's 25th and 30th anniversary celebrations. In those speeches he has said the channel gave Arabs "a platform to talk about themselves by themselves", criticised the 2017 blockade of Qatar by neighbouring states, and condemned the killing of the network's journalists and the closure of its offices during the Gaza war.[4][5][6]

He also chaired the board of governors of the Doha Centre for Media Freedom, a press freedom organisation founded in Qatar in 2008, whose first two directors left after public disputes with the centre's Qatari leadership.[7][8] As of November 2026, Al Thani holds both posts.[9][10]

Early life and education

Al Thani is a member of Qatar's Al Thani family. He earned a bachelor's degree in journalism from Qatar University in 1987, the same year he entered government service.[1]

Asked in a 2001 interview how he became interested in journalism and broadcasting, Al Thani answered by describing his career in the Ministry of Information rather than any earlier background.[3]

Career

Ministry of Information, 1987 to 1994

According to Al Thani's own account, his career began in 1987 at Qatar's Ministry of Information. He worked first in the printing and publications department and then in the Foreign Information Agency, before serving as the first undersecretary to the minister of information.[3] His official network biography describes Al Thani as having held several positions in what it calls the Ministry of Information and Culture in the late 1980s and early 1990s.[1]

The ministry was later abolished. In 2001, Al Thani explained the decision by saying that a ministry of information "is the ministry that controls the news media, be it television or radio or newspapers", and that Qatar's leaders had looked to Western countries with advanced media sectors and no information ministries. "We don't see that a ministry of information has any positive role to play in future media projects," he said.[3] The same biography presents the closure as a decision by "the young, new leaders of the country" to "abolish this ministry and think globally".[1]

Founding chairman, 1994 to 1996

Sources differ slightly on the timing of Al Thani's appointment. In the 2001 interview Al Thani said that once the idea of the channel arose, a board of directors was formed and he was chosen as its chairman "around the end of 1994", and that the team then worked for about two years before the channel launched in November 1996.[3] His official biography says Al Thani was "tasked with founding the project that eventually produced Al Jazeera in November 1996" and was appointed chairman of the board of Al Jazeera Satellite Channel that year.[1]

In a tribute published in July 2026, Al Thani gave a fuller account. He wrote that Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani summoned him to his home and told him he intended to set up a television news channel to be called Al Jazeera, which "would enjoy a wide margin of freedom so it would be different from what people were accustomed to seeing in the Arab media landscape." Al Thani described building the station not far from Qatar Television, equipping it with broadcasting and satellite equipment, forming the board, appointing a director general and recruiting journalists and technical staff. The channel adopted the slogan "The Opinion and the Other Opinion". According to Al Thani, the first half-hour news bulletin aired in late November 1996, and the channel initially broadcast for six hours a day.[11]

Explaining the original idea in 2001, Al Thani said its founders had seen that Western media offered specialised sports, news and entertainment channels while the Arab world did not, "so the idea arose to start a channel specializing in news that would serve many viewers in the Arab world." He attributed the channel's success to "the amount of freedom available to the people who work at Al-Jazeera, in addition to their professionalism."[3]

Chairman, 1996 to present

Early growth and international attention

Al Thani dated the channel's emergence as a global broadcaster to 1998, when its Baghdad office covered the Desert Fox campaign. He said this was "the first time for Al-Jazeera to stand alongside international organizations like CNN and BBC and ABC", and that coverage of the Palestinian intifada followed.[3]

By late 2001 the channel faced criticism from the United States administration over what Al Thani called its "coverage of recent events". In his interview with Transnational Broadcasting Studies that autumn, Al Thani said he had heard the remarks of Secretary of State Colin Powell, and of other officials and members of Congress during a recent visit to the United States, and that he had explained the channel's editorial line to them. Al Thani said the channel had been accused of being financed by Iraq when it covered Iraq, by the Mossad when it interviewed the Israeli politicians Ehud Barak and Shimon Peres, and by the CIA when it reported from Washington. "We're used to these remarks or accusations at Al-Jazeera," he said, adding that he considered the channel even-handed.[3] Al Thani confirmed that it had been the first Arab channel to interview Israeli leaders.[3]

In the same interview, Al Thani linked the channel to the political direction of Qatar under Hamad bin Khalifa, citing chamber of commerce and municipal elections with women as candidates and voters, planned parliamentary elections, and the lifting of censorship on Qatari newspapers. "The two go together in this stage," he said.[3]

Business model

In 2001 Al Thani set out the channel's commercial plans. He said the channel was due to become financially independent and that it had already been encrypted in Australia, with the board studying encryption in Europe. He said encryption in the Middle East was "unlikely at this time" despite offers from media organisations. Asked whether the company would sell shares to the public, he replied that "this will happen soon" and that the board was studying the idea.[3]

Expansion into a network

Al Thani's official biography states that in 2006, in the run-up to the launch of Al Jazeera English, the company renamed itself Al Jazeera Media Network, and that Al Thani's responsibilities now cover all of the network's channels.[1] The channels listed on the network's own site include its Arabic, English, Mubasher and Documentary services and AJ+, together with a centre for studies and a media institute.[1]

At the network's 25th anniversary celebration on November 1, 2021, attended by Hamad bin Khalifa, Al Thani said: "A quarter of a century since the launch of Al Jazeera Channel, the Arab is no longer just a consumer of the world's media, but rather part of the dialogue." He added that the channel "has given the Arabs a platform to talk about themselves by themselves."[4] The network opened new studios and newsrooms in Doha as part of the anniversary.[4]

On November 1, 2026, Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani attended the network's 30th anniversary celebration at its headquarters, held under the slogan "And the Story Continues". Al Thani and Director General Sheikh Nasser bin Faisal Al Thani gave speeches, and the emir toured the network's new studios and newsroom.[9] The same day the network relaunched its Arabic-language news output as three linked channels, Al Jazeera Now, the main Arabic channel and Mubasher, with a shared digital platform.[12]

Qatar Media Corporation

Al Thani also leads the Qatar Media Corporation, which the corporation describes as the umbrella for official media in Qatar. Established in 2009, it comprises Qatar Television, the Alkass sports channels, and Qatar Radio, Quran Radio, Sout Al Khaleej, the French-language Oryx radio, the English-language QBS and an Urdu service.[2] The corporation lists him as its president and notes that Al Thani also chairs the network's board; its chief executive is Sheikh Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al Thani.[2] The Peninsula described him in February 2026 as "Chairman of Qatar Media Corporation and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Al Jazeera Media Network".[13]

In a message on the corporation's website, Al Thani describes national media as a basic pillar of Qatar's development and a tool for strengthening national identity and public awareness. He says the corporation is pursuing innovation, new technology, partnerships and investment in Qatari talent.[14] In that role he meets foreign media officials; on November 11, 2026, he received Djibouti's minister of communication, Mohamed Abdulkader Moussa, to discuss media cooperation between the two countries.[10]

Leadership and management style

Al Thani has consistently presented editorial freedom as the basis of the network's identity. In 2001 he called "the amount of freedom" given to staff the "key word" in its success, and described the channel's strategy as presenting "one opinion and another", meaning both sides of a story.[3] He argued at the time that "events themselves are what make news channels" and that the channel's aim was to be "present where events are taking place."[3]

In his 2026 tribute, Al Thani wrote that Hamad bin Khalifa visited the channel but "never once interfered in any coverage or programme, as long as everything proceeded according to professional rules", and that Tamim bin Hamad, during "one of the most difficult periods in Qatar's history", had refused pressure to change the network's approach and "does not personally intervene in its operations".[11] These descriptions are Al Thani's own account.

As chairman, Al Thani has used the opening speeches of the annual Al Jazeera Forum to set out the network's view of regional affairs. At the 11th forum, "State Crisis and the Future of the Middle East", which he opened on April 15, 2017, he described the forum as "an annual platform for deep and constructive dialogue where political leaders, intellectuals, and activists exchange ideas".[15] At the 17th forum in February 2026, he said the value of the event lay in "the depth and seriousness of the discussions it promotes" and that major global issues required "balanced analysis and intellectual and moral courage".[13]

Public positions

Gulf crisis

At the network's 12th forum, "The Gulf, the Arabs and the World amid Current Developments", Al Thani addressed the blockade of Qatar that began in 2017, a crisis he said had been "imposed by the besieging countries" according to the forum's report of his speech. "It is no secret that the blockade was a blow to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and a threat to its future," he said, adding that the crisis had "gravely undermined trust among the peoples of the region, as well as between the region's peoples and its leaders". He said involving ordinary citizens in the dispute was "no doubt a big mistake", and contrasted the Gulf rift with the contemporaneous summit between the two Koreas.[5]

War in Gaza and journalists' safety

Opening the 15th forum, "Transformations in the Middle East after Tufan Al-Aqsa", on May 25, 2024, Al Thani said the events of October 7, 2023, had created "a juncture in the history of this issue and may be in the history of the region and the entire world as well". He called the network's coverage of Gaza "a model of media brilliance" and named the network's journalists killed in Palestine, including Shireen Abu Akleh, Samer Abu Daqqa and Hamza Al Dahdouh, and those injured, including Wael Al Dahdouh and Ismail Abu Omar. Al Thani also referred to the closure of the network's premises in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.[16][17]

At the 16th forum, held in Doha on February 15 and 16, 2025, under the title "From the War on Gaza to Change in Syria: Shifting Dynamics in the Middle East", Al Thani paid tribute to journalists killed in Gaza and Syria and condemned the closure of the network's offices in the West Bank and Jerusalem.[6][18] According to the Al Jazeera Centre for Studies, he said it was unjust to accuse journalists of terrorism or to target them and their families for doing their work, and that the network had been directly targeted through the killing of its reporters and the closure of its offices.[19]

The 17th forum ran from February 7 to 9, 2026, under the theme "The Palestinian Cause and the Regional Balance of Power in the Context of an Emerging Multipolar World". In his opening address Al Thani said Israel was seeking to reoccupy Gaza, displace its population and annex what remained of the West Bank, and that the war had returned the Palestinian cause to the forefront of global attention, making recognition of a Palestinian state "a growing global demand". Al Thani noted that the network's correspondents had been killed in Palestine, Syria, Iraq, Libya and Yemen.[13][20][21]

Board memberships and outside roles

  • Al Jazeera Media Network: chairman of the board of directors, from the founding of Al Jazeera Satellite Channel.[1]
  • Qatar Media Corporation: president.[2][14]
  • Doha Centre for Media Freedom: chairman of the board of governors. As listed in 2012, the 12-member board included the novelist Paulo Coelho, the former French prime minister Dominique de Villepin, the former Spanish foreign minister Miguel Ángel Moratinos, the writer Alaa Al Aswany and the former United Nations under-secretary-general Shashi Tharoor.[7]

Controversies

Doha Centre for Media Freedom

The Doha Centre for Media Freedom was founded in 2008 with Al Thani as chairman of its board of governors.[7][8] Its first director, Robert Ménard, the founder of Reporters Without Borders, left in the summer of 2009. According to Doha News, Ménard and three colleagues resigned citing problems with the government, saying that the centre "has been suffocated. We no longer have either the freedom or resources to do our work."[8]

In November 2013 the centre dismissed Ménard's successor, the Dutch journalist Jan Keulen. Doha News reported that a months-long dispute had developed between Keulen and an adviser over who had authority to approve spending on projects and contracts. In an email to staff, Keulen wrote that he had appealed to the board chairman, Al Thani, to intervene, and that "his response appeared to be the firing", in the words of the newspaper's summary of the email. Keulen was informed of the decision by the centre's executive committee chair, Abdul Jalil Alami. The newspaper also reported that Keulen had been told shortly before that his position was to be filled by a Qatari national.[8]

Criticism of Al Jazeera

As chairman, Al Thani has been the senior figure answering for Al Jazeera when governments have objected to its coverage. In 2001 he described accusations from Arab governments, Israel and the United States, and responses to them, as a routine part of the channel's existence.[3] During the 2017 Gulf crisis, and in the conflict with Israel that followed October 2023, he publicly condemned measures taken against the network and its staff.[5][16] On November 2, 2026, the network condemned an Israeli decision to extend for a further 90 days its ban on the network's operations in Israel, including its broadcasts and offices, and said the extension relied on secret material its lawyers had not been allowed to see.[22]

Personal life

Al Thani described a close working relationship with Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the former emir under whom Al Jazeera was founded. In his July 2026 tribute after the former emir's death, he recalled that at their final meeting the former emir's health "did not prevent him from asking about Al Jazeera and checking on its current state and future."[11]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 "Sheikh Hamad bin Thamer Al Thani". Al Jazeera Media Network. Retrieved November 12, 2026.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "من نحن (About us)". Qatar Media Corporation. Retrieved November 12, 2026.
  3. ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 "TBS Focus: Al-Jazeera: Sheikh Hamad bin Thamer Al Thani". Transnational Broadcasting Studies, Adham Center for Television Journalism, American University in Cairo. 2001. Retrieved November 12, 2026.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Father Amir participates in 25th anniversary celebration of Al Jazeera". November 2, 2021. Retrieved November 12, 2026.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Sheikh Hamad bin Thamer: The forum provides an opportunity to discuss regional issues honestly and identify and remedy the shortcomings". Al Jazeera Forum. Retrieved November 12, 2026.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Lamari, Tawfik."16th Al Jazeera Forum addresses 'Shifting dynamics in Middle East'". February 16, 2025. Retrieved November 12, 2026.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 "Board". Doha Centre for Media Freedom. Retrieved November 12, 2026.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 "Qatar fires director of Doha Centre for Media Freedom". December 1, 2013. Retrieved November 12, 2026.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "HH the Amir Attends Celebration Marking 30th Anniversary of Al Jazeera Media Network's Launch". Qatar News Agency. November 1, 2026. Retrieved November 12, 2026.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "رئيس المؤسسة القطرية للإعلام يجتمع مع وزير الإعلام الجيبوتي (President of Qatar Media Corporation meets Djiboutian information minister)". Qatar Media Corporation. November 11, 2026. Retrieved November 12, 2026.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Al Thani, Hamad bin Thamer."Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and Al Jazeera". July 15, 2026. Retrieved November 12, 2026.
  12. ↑ "Marking its 30th anniversary Al Jazeera launches a new ecosystem of news channels for Arabic-speaking audiences". Al Jazeera Media Network. November 1, 2026. Retrieved November 12, 2026.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Ataullah, Sanaullah."Al Jazeera Forum discusses Gaza, regional balance". February 8, 2026. Retrieved November 12, 2026.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "رئيس المؤسسة (President of the corporation)". Qatar Media Corporation. Retrieved November 12, 2026.
  15. ↑ "Opening Session of 11th Al Jazeera Forum". Al Jazeera Forum. Retrieved November 12, 2026.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 "15th edition of Al Jazeera Forum Launches". Qatar News Agency. May 25, 2024. Retrieved November 12, 2026.
  17. ↑ "'Constant coverage in Gaza model of media brilliance'". May 26, 2024. Retrieved November 12, 2026.
  18. ↑ "War on Gaza and impact on regional power balances discussed". February 16, 2025. Retrieved November 12, 2026.
  19. ↑ "Insights from the 16th Al Jazeera Forum From the War on Gaza to Change in Syria: Shifting Dynamics in the Middle East". Al Jazeera Centre for Studies. February 23, 2025. Retrieved November 12, 2026.
  20. ↑ "Al Jazeera Forum: The Palestinian Cause and the Regional Balance of Power in the Context of an Emerging Multipolar World". Al Jazeera Centre for Studies. February 11, 2026. Retrieved November 12, 2026.
  21. ↑ "Chairman of Al Jazeera board highlights 'new reality' in the Middle East". Al Jazeera. February 7, 2026. Retrieved November 12, 2026.
  22. ↑ "Al Jazeera condemns extension of Israeli ban and calls for its immediate lifting". Al Jazeera Media Network. November 2, 2026. Retrieved November 12, 2026.
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