The Royal Reformer
There is much more to Sheikha Moza bint Nasser than being the second of the three wives of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who is the former Emir of Qatar, and the mother of Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the present Emir of Qatar. She attained global renown for bringing major reforms in the healthcare and education system of Qatar.
The accomplished and graceful lady who has attained global renown as a fashion icon and philanthropist, has degrees from foreign universities. Unlike wives of most Middle-East rulers, her presence is not confined to the palace. The highly educated lady represented Qatar in many international events and is an important figure in Qatar’s politics and society, and is involved in Qatar’s government.
Background Story
While discussing about Sheikha Moza bint Nasser we can easily come to know that she was born on 8th August 1959, in the coastal city of Al Khor, located in northern Qatar. The age of Sheikha Moza bint Nasser is close to 63 years. She is the daughter of Nasser bin Abdullah Al-Missned, who was a significant Qatari businessman and politician. He was the opposition leader during the rule of Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad bin Abdullah Al Thani.
In 1960s, Nasser bin Abdullah Al-Missned courted trouble for himself and his family when he publicly voiced for more equitable distribution of wealth amongst the population of Qatar. This led to his arrest. After he was released in 1964, he and his family moved to Kuwait where the leader remained in self-imposed exile.
The early years of Moza bint Nasser were spent in Kuwait and Egypt. Nasser bin Abdullah Al-Missned and his family returned to Qatar in 1977, where Moza bint Nasser was married to Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the then crown prince of Qatar, and she became the second of his three wives.
Initially, Moza bint Nasser led a traditional life like other wives of monarchs in the middle-east but since 1995, after her husband’s regime began through a bloodless coup, her involvement in public affairs increased, much to the betterment of her country.
Creating a Better Society
Since 1995, Sheikha Moza bint Nasser has been leading Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development as Chairperson, an organization which she co-founded along with her husband. The organization was set up in 1995 only.
The initiatives of the state-led non- profit organization, according to the organization, are oriented towards education, science and research, and community development. Its one of the most important projects is Education City, which is a centre of academic excellence and has branch campuses of famous international universities and institutions housed in it. It would not be an overstatement to say that Moza bint Nasser is the driving force behind this initiative.
Any good biography of Sheikha Moza bint Nasser should also explore her role as the Chairperson of Silatech,an organization whichis engaged in creating jobs and other economic opportunities for young people in the Arab world; its focus being18 to 30-year-olds. Founded in 2008, by 2016 Silatech had presence in 16 countries; running projects with partners in areas like microfinance, small and medium enterprises (SME) development, research and policy advocacy among others.
The dynamic lady, who can aptly be described as an epitome of class, grace and elegance, is also the President of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs since 1998, the same year when this Qatar government institution was formed with the objective of strengthening role of family.
The billionaire lady and the mother of seven also serves as the Chairperson of Sidra Medical and Research Center since 2016, which was launched at the initiative of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development. It is a 400-bed women’s and children’s hospital, besides being a medical education and biomedical research center. The institute is located in Doha, the capital of Qatar. Moza bint Nasser has given an endowment of 7.9 billion USD for Sidra Medical and Research Center.
Her initiative resulted in the opening of Al Jazeera Children’s Cannel in 2005. She achieved the distinction of being adjudged among the Forbes’ 100 Most Powerful Women (Rank 74). She is also the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of Arab Democracy Foundation since the non-governmental organization’s inception in 2007.
She Means Business
In 2008, Moza bint Nasser became a businesswoman too when she established Qatar Luxury Group. According to the company’s profile in LinkedIn, the group was created to build and foster luxury brands in the fashion, hospitality and lifestyle sectors for an international audience. She also has a 100 percent stake in Le Tanneur & Cie, one of the leading players in France’s leather goods industry, which makes her own the company.
If one were to describe the profession of Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, one can say she is a successful businesswoman, though she is much more than that. She is a true leader, an institution builder and a great educational and social reformer for her country.
Many of the readers may be curious to know about the astonishing net worth of Sheikha Moza bint Nasser. According to https://www.idolnetworth.com, it is no less than 600 million USD in 2022.
FAQs
She is married to Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the former Emir of Qatar.
International recognition for her humanitarian and development work followed her. In 2003, she was appointed as UNESCO‘s Special Envoy for Basic and Higher Education.
Shehas a a BA in Sociology from Qatar University, which she earned in 1986(nine years after her marriage), and an MA in Public Policy in Islam from Hamad Bin Khalifa University. She was also awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters in 2003 from Virginia Commonwealth University. That is not all; she has honorary doctorates from the Texas A&M University, Carnegie Mellon University, Imperial College, London, and Georgetown University School of Foreign Service.
