Heir to Qatar Throne Visits Harvard

His Highness Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, heir apparent to the throne of Qatar, spent part of his first visit to the U.S. at Harvard meeting with administrators and faculty members on Friday.

According to Thomas D. Mullins, associate director in the Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Al-Thani met with Kenan Professor of Government Harvey C. Mansfield and attended a reception with several Harvard administrators.

During his weekend in the U.S., Al-Thani also met with representatives of the Raytheon Company, based in Lexington, Mass., which manufactures defense technology such as Patriot missiles and marine electronic technology.

According to Mullins, Al-Thani also met with several California-based energy firms that mine in Qatar, which sits on the third largest natural gas field in the world.

Al-Thani, who is 21 years old, attended Sandhurst Military College in the United Kingdom and has served as a lieutenant in the Qatari Armed Forces.

He was accompanied during his visit by the former US ambassador to Qatar and several Qatari officials, including the minister of foreign affairs, the minister of energy, and the chair of the state radio and television corporation.

Qatar, which is located on a peninsula north of Saudi Arabia, has a population of about 700,000.