Qatar: the foreign affairs, oil ministers are deputy premiers

Amir of Qatar, Shaikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani yesterday appointed the two ministers of foreign affairs and oil, Hamad Bin Jasem Bin Jaber al-Thani and Abdulah Bin Hamad al-Ateyah respectively as the two deputies for the prime minister.

The post of the deputy premier used to be run by a younger brother for the Qatari crown prince who assumed power in Qatar in a "peaceful coupe" in 1995.

An official source at the Qatari royal court ( divan) said that the foreign minister was appointed as the first deputy for the prime minister while the minister of industry and energy was appointed as a second deputy for the prime minister. The two ministers took their oath yesterday. Both men will keep their ministerial posts.

However, Qatari officials said that the two posts for the oil and foreign ministers came as a reward for them over their help in leading the current modernization plan currently applied in Qatar.

There used to be one post for a deputy premier in Qatar used to be occupied by the brother of the Amir, Sheikh Muhammad Bin Khaleifa al-Thani, who was appointed as an advisor for the Amir of Qatar.

However, Hamad Bin Jasem Bin Jaber al-Thani is considered one of the key political figures in the country since 1992 when he assumed his post as a foreign minister. Also since then, Abdulah Bin Hamad al-Ateyah had the post of the minister of energy.