Khalid bin Khalifa’s corruption preceded his rise to Qatari PM

Mohammed Abdul Ghaffar

Under oppressive, tyrannical regimes, one cannot rise to high positions without being in line with the despot’s policies and methods of obtaining benefits or disposing of enemies, all of which are incompatible with morals and basic principles. So it is not strange that charges of corruption preceded Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani stepping into the position of Qatar’s prime minister.

Controversial appointment

The Emiri Diwan’s announcement that Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz Al Thani was appointed as Qatar’s prime minister has raised a lot of confusion and hearsay domestically and abroad.

In addition to his new position, Khalid bin Khalifa will keep the ministries of Interior, Foreign Affairs, Energy, Finance, Trade and Defense, according to the Emiri Diwan’s statement issued on Tuesday, January 28.

The new prime minister had headed the Emiri Diwan since November 11, 2014. Before that, he was director of Emir Tamim bin Hamad’s office after the latter took over the country.

The companionship between Khalid bin Khalifa and Tamim bin Hamad officially dates back to March 2006, when Khalid bin Khalifa moved from the office of the first deputy prime minister and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to work in the Tamim office when the latter was named Crown Prince. On July 11, 2006, he was appointed director of the office of Tamim’s special secretary, and then he became the director of then-Crown Prince Tamim’s office.

Corruption cases

The new prime minister’s attachment to Tamim’s office for so many years made him a witness and accomplice in the regime’s attempts to transform Doha from a small capital into a center of gravity in the region, and taking unethical steps to do so.

Among these steps has been the transformation of Doha into a world sports capital by hosting major events in various sports, such as the World Cup to be held in 2022, be means of bribery and other unethical measures.

Khalid bin Khalifa participated strongly in this regard, specifically in the process of buying the rights to broadcast the World Athletics Championships in exchange for Qatar getting the right to organize its 2020 edition.

Along with Nasser Al Khalifa, the head of the Paris Saint-Germain football club, the new Qatari prime minister is accused of providing bribes of $5 million, of which he transferred $440,000 to Papa Massata Diack, the son of former International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) President Lamine Diack, and the rest went to the president himself.

In 2019, the Guardian newspaper leaked an email between Diack and Khalid bin Khalifa in which he said, “You will find attached the bank details for the transfer of $4.5 million which must be done as agreed. The balance of 440,000 must remain in Doha in cash, I will pick it up the next time I come.”

Oryx QSI, which is owned by Nasser Al Khalifa and his brother, transferred $3.5 million to Papa Massata Diack’s account in Senegal.