Deputy Prime Minister and
Minister of State for
Defence Affairs

Career

His Excellency Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani served as Chief of the Amiri Diwan from October 2020 to November 2024, pursuant to Amiri Order No. (5) of 2020. He had previously served as Assistant to the Chief of the Amiri Diwan from 2019 – 2020.

From 1994 to 2001, His Excellency Sheikh Saoud joined the Qatari Armed Forces and he rose through military ranks until he reached the rank of Major Engineer.

Sheikh Saoud joined the Qatar Olympic Committee, serving first as Assistant Secretary-General from 2001 to 2002. He then assumed the position of Secretary-General from 2002 to 2015. His Excellency also presided over the presidency of the Qatar Basketball Federation from 2011 to 2016.

His Excellency served as Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the Federal Republic of Germany and Non-Resident Ambassador to the Czech Republic from 2017 to 2019.

His Excellency has held leadership positions in numerous regional and international sports committees and received several awards, including the Recognition Award for Personalities That Served Sports in Qatar in 2005 and the Sports Personality Award in 2007.

His Excellency assumed the presidency and membership of several regional and international sports committees, and received a number of sports recognition awards, including the Sports Personality Award in Qatar in 2005 and the Sports Personality Award from the International Olympic Committee for those who provided support to the Olympic Movement for the School Olympic Project in 2007. He was also awarded the ANOC Order of Merit presented by the Association of International Olympic Committees in 2019, in addition to other awards.

Education

HE Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani received his school education in Qatar. In 1993, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Mexico State University, USA. His Excellency later obtained a master’s degree in Sports Management from the University of Lyon, France, in 2003. In 2013, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the National Sports Academy in Bulgaria.