Africa & Middle East · reference
🇶🇦 Qatar
Absolute monarchy (emirate)
SystemAbsolute monarchy (emirate)
Head of stateEmir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani
Head of governmentPrime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani
LegislatureShura Council · 45 members, fully appointed since a 2024 constitutional referendum abolished elected seats
ElectionsNo national elections · the single legislative election ever held, in 2021, was reversed by the 2024 referendum
Last election2021-10-02 · the only Shura Council election held to date
The world's dominant LNG exporter alongside the United States and Australia, Qatar leverages wealth and the Al Jazeera network into outsized diplomacy, mediating on Gaza, Afghanistan and beyond. It hosts the largest US air base in the Middle East and endured a 2017-21 blockade by its Gulf neighbours. Citizens, a small minority of residents, receive extensive welfare in exchange for a closed political sphere.
Live encyclopedic leader and election records · verified 2026-07-02
The Margin models elections where a competitive public record exists · all countries