Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

What changes will Qatar’s first elections bring to the Gulf country?

What changes will Qatar’s first elections bring to the Gulf country?

Across the oil-rich Gulf, except for Saudi Arabia and Qatar, other states have legislative bodies, which are elected by popular vote. Now Doha also wants to have its own Shura Council elected mostly by people.

In the Arab Gulf, people usually use the word shura to refer to their own legislative bodies. Shura, an Arabic word, means a consultation council, whose history goes back to Prophet Mohammed’s time.

The word shura is also used to mean consultation solely. As a result, the shura council refers to a consultation body. In modern times, the shura council has gradually turned into a legislative body used by various Arab countries across the Gulf in different political contexts qualified with changing degrees of authority.

Most Gulf states like Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Qatar use the phrase Majlis al-Shura (Consultation Assembly or Parliament) to refer to their own legislative bodies, some of which are elected by popular vote, depending on where they are located and whether they have bicameral or unicameral structures.

Qatar’s unicameral Majlis al-Shura will hold its first elections on Saturday. Out of 45-member Shura, 30 seats will be elected by popular vote as the rest will be appointed by Qatari emir. Originally, the elections were scheduled for 2007, but have been delayed until tomorrow.

Due to the banning of political parties in Qatar, 294 candidates including at least 29 women affiliated with different tribes and groups will participate in the elections. The Qatari state divided the country in 30 different election districts and every district will send one candidate to the Shura Council, according to this arrangement.

“Public debates and discussions around the elections have been actively encouraged by the government and a competitive campaign is expected among the eligible candidates,” said a statement from Qatar’s Government Communications Office (GCO).

Compared to other Gulf states like Saudi Arabia, the tiny gas-rich Qatar’s international standing appears to be better as the country has been able to establish strong connections with both the Western world and political Islamic groups like the Muslim Brotherhood and the Taliban.

Emir’s priorities


Qatari emir gives a lot of importance to his state’s “international visibility” and wants to show Doha’s both Western and indigenous audiences that the state has “a benign political structure”, says Mithat Rende, Turkey’s former ambassador to Qatar, who personally knows Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

Qatar's Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani wants to have "a benign political structure" in his country to deepen his connections with the country's population, increasing Doha's international prestige.


“It’s an important step in the right direction,” Rende tells TRT World.

Qatar appears to appreciate the importance of democratic process, which strengthens any government’s legitimacy and support among any given country’s population, particularly after a nearly 4-year long regional blockade over Doha imposed mainly by its neighbours, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain as well as Egypt. The blockade ended in a failure as Qatar and other Gulf countries signed an agreement to normalise relations in January.

Qatar’s Shura Council members have previously been elected by the emir as Saudi Arabia, where all of Majlis al-Shura members are still elected by the king. With the emergence of possibility to elect the country’s legislative body by popular vote, Qatar’s democratisation process could be speeded out.

“In line with Qatar’s National Vision 2030, the elections aim to strengthen the role of the legislative branch of government and enhance the involvement of citizens in the political process,” said the GCO statement.

Like other Gulf countries, Qatar’s Shura Council will have limited legislative authorities like having oversight over general state policies and government budgets as the emir continues to have a veto power. It will have no real power over areas related to defence, security, economic and investment policies.

As a result, it remains to be seen how the Shura Council elections will really affect Qatar’s policy-making process, according to Gulf sources.

People aged over 18 will be able to vote to elect candidates, who should be at least 30, according to the election law. Also citizens, whose grandfathers were not born in Qatar, will not be eligible to vote or run for a legislative office. It also means that much of the country’s foreigner majority, which is around 2.5 million, will not vote for the elections.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Trump Backs Putin’s Land-for-Peace Proposal Amid Kyiv’s Rejection
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
United States Sells Luxury Yacht Amadea, Valued at Approximately $325 Million, in First Sale of a Seized Russian Yacht Since the Invasion of Ukraine
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Germany Seeks Taliban Deal to Deport Afghan Migrants
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
×