Profile

Sheikh Mohamed Ahmed Jassim Al-Thani, a member of the junior branch of Qatar's ruling family, is the owner and chair of Mohajl Group, a Qatari business conglomerate and was Minister of Economy and Commerce of Qatar between 2003 and 2006. His grandfather, Sheikh Jassim bin Mohamed bin Thani bin Mohamed, ruled Qatar between 1876 and 1913.

Fulfilling the residency requirement

Al-Thani applied to buy passports for himself and his family members in 2016. As part of the application process the family entered into a one-year lease agreement for a flat in the middle-class suburb of Attard for €1,350 per month. When the Passport Papers photographer visited the address, she found a building of mediocre construction with concrete walls painted beige to mimic the more traditional yellow limestone homes in the area.

Internal risk alert

After Al-Thani signed his one-year lease, a senior staff member at Henley & Partners' Dubai office instructed the firm's Malta office to “not board this client”, claiming that allowing Al-Thani to become a citizen would put “the UAE as well as you in Malta in danger (us in the UAE personally and you in Malta – including the Government – reputation wise).” A follow up email also stressed that accepting a member of the Qatari royal family would “be bad for Malta and H&P in the EU (considering Qatar's power)” and could cause a risk for members of the Henley & Partners team when they visited Qatar.

Qatar does not allow dual nationality. An Emiri decision can remove a Qatari's citizenship if that person acquires the nationality of another country. Despite the anticipated “risks”, Henley & Partners decided to complete the residence application and Al-Thani became a resident of Malta, while never physically residing in the country. He visited Malta in September 2016, spent one day with Henley & Partners, and flew out of the country within 48 hours of his arrival.

The new Maltese citizens

Al-Thani withdrew from Henley & Partners in 2017, however it is unclear whether this was due to concerns raised by the firm. As part of his withdrawal, he requested that his one-year lease be handled by a different agency. Al-Thani and his family were granted Maltese passports in 2018. It is not known whether they have been back to Malta since then.

Henley & Partners did not comment on the case but said the firm is “committed to complying with all applicable laws and regulations.” Sheikh Mohamed Ahmed Jassim Al-Thani and Mohajl Group did not respond to requests for comment.