House of Al Thani


The House of Thani is the ruling family of Qatar, whose origins can be traced back to Banu Tamim tribal confederation.

History and structure

The Al Thanis can be traced back to Mudar bin Nizar, who settled at Gebrin oasis in southern Najd before he moved to Qatar. Around the 17th century, the tribe lived in Ushayqir, a settlement north-east of Riyadh. They settled in Qatar around the 1720s. Their first settlement in Qatar was in the southern town of Sikak, and from there they moved north-west to Zubarah and Al Ruwais. They settled in Doha in the 19th century under their leader Mohammed bin Thani. The group was named after the father of Mohammad, Thani bin Mohammad.
The family is made of four main factions: Bani Qassim, Bani Ahmed, Bani Jaber, and Bani Thamer. As of the early 1990s, the number of the family members was estimated to be about 6,000.
The leadership transitions in 1913, 1949, 1960, and 2013 were all abdications. These abdications were to a nephew in one incident and sons in the others.

Rulers

List of Emirs:

Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani Branch

Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani Founder of modern Qatar

The Jaber bin Muhammed Al Thani Branch

The Thamir bin Muhammed Al Branch