Moza bint Nasser

Her Highness Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned, DBE (Arabic: موزا بنت ناصر المسند‎‎), the daughter of Nasser bin Abdullah Al Missned, is the second of the three wives of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, former Emir of the State of Qatar.

Early life and education

Mozah married Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani in 1977, when he was heir apparent of Qatar. She received a BA in Sociology from the Qatar University in 1986, and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2003.

Career

Sheikha Mozah with her husband at the White House in Washington, D.C.. From left to right: Sheikha Mozah, Michelle Obama, the US First Lady, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, and Barack Obama, the US President.

Sheikha Mozah has been chairperson of the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development since 1995, chairperson of Silatech since 2008, chairperson of the Arab Democracy Foundation, and president of the Supreme Council for Family Affairs since 1998. She has been vice-president of the Supreme Education Council since 2002 and was UNESCO's Special Envoy for Basic and Higher Education in 2003. Currently, she serves as a member of the Board of Overseers for Weill Cornell Medical College. Besides this, she is chair of Sidra Medical and Research Center in Doha and the organisation "Your Link".

Unlike many other monarchical wives in the Middle East, Sheikha Mozah has been a high-profile figure in her nation's politics and society, actively involved in Qatar's government. She was a driving force behind Education City and Al Jazeera Children's Channel. She is the owner of Le Tanneur, a French leather-goods manufacturer. Additionally, she has been named as one of Forbes' 100 Most Powerful Women at #75.

As the public consort of the emir, she has represented Qatar alongside her husband and on her own at many international events, including state visits and royal weddings. She has become known for her personal style, customising haute couture designs to fit Qatari modesty rules.

Titles, styles, and honours

Titles and styles

Mozah may be styled as "Her Highness Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser".

Honours

• Honorary Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) (2010, UK).
• Member of the Académie des Beaux-Arts (2009, France).
• Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (07/11/2007, Italy).
• Doctor of Humane Letters (D.H.L.) from Virginia Commonwealth University (2003, Richmond, Virginia).
• Doctor of Humane Letters (D.H.L.) from Carnegie Mellon University (2006, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania).
• Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic (20 April 2011, Spain).
• Dame of the Order of the Smile (2012).

Children

Five sons and two daughters:

• Sheikh Jasim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani (born 1978) – heir apparent of Qatar until 2003.
• Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Prince of Qatar (born 1980) – heir apparent of Qatar (2003–2013), current Emir of Qatar.
• Sheikha Al-Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani (born 1983).
• Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani (born 1985).
• Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani (born 1988).
• Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani (born 1991).
• Sheikha Hind bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani – director of the Emir's Office since 2009.

External links

• Official site of Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser
• Backstory: Qatar reformed by a modern marriage