Moza bint Nasser, the eternal sheikha, celebrates 65 years of life, power and legacy as the woman who redefined Qatar’s image…

Moza bint Nasser, the eternal sheikha, celebrates 65 years of life, power and legacy as the woman who redefined Qatar’s image© UK Press via Getty Images
Moza bint Nasser, the eternal sheikha, celebrates 65 years of life, power and legacy as the woman who redefined Qatar’s image

This August 8, Moza bint Nasser, Qatar’s iconic sheikha, turns 65. More than a consort, the second wife of the former Emir and mother of the current one has been the public face of her country abroad, building strong ties with heads of state, first ladies, kings and queens, and promoting Qatar’s image as a modern nation. She paved the way for other consorts in the Arab world, playing a major role in her country’s politics, society, activism, and soft power, while sharing striking images on social media and lighter moments like her meeting with Georgina Rodríguez and her children. When it comes to style, she is an institution who adapted haute couture to the Gulf’s cultural and religious dress codes for women.

Born in Al Khor in 1959, Moza bint Nasser earned the title of ‘the Emir’s favorite woman’ by ensuring that her children, not the Emir’s first wife’s, would take the reins of the country, demonstrating her keen understanding of politics, business, and relationships, three areas that are often intertwined in certain state structures. The eternal sheikha, as she is called to distinguish her from her daughter-in-law, the current first lady, comes from a family that once opposed the ruling family, lived in exile, and returned to change her own history when she married Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani in 1977, Emir until 2013, when he abdicated in favor of their son.

With members of all the royal houses during the inauguration of King Willem of the Netherlands© Getty Images
With members of all the royal houses during the inauguration of King Willem of the Netherlands.

(L to R) Princess Letizia of Spain, Prince Felipe of Spain, Queen Sofia of Spain, and Sheikha Moza Bint Nasser Al-Missned pose for the photographers during a Gala Dinner honouring of the Emir of the State of Qatar Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani at the Royal Palace on April 25, 2011 in Madrid, Spain.© Getty Images
(L to R) Princess Letizia of Spain, Prince Felipe of Spain, Queen Sofia of Spain, and Sheikha Moza Bint Nasser Al-Missned pose for the photographers during a Gala Dinner honouring of the Emir of the State of Qatar Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani at the Royal Palace on April 25, 2011 in Madrid, Spain.

Pope Francis meets Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned at his private library in the Apostolic Palace on June 4, 2016 in Vatican City, Vatican. © Getty Images
Pope Francis meets Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned at his private library in the Apostolic Palace on June 4, 2016 in Vatican City, Vatican.

A sociology graduate from Qatar University, she began to gain international presence in the 1990s when she became actively involved in the country’s social and educational reform. She is also credited with shaping the direction of the Qatari royal family’s investments, considered among the three richest in the world, making highly profitable deals such as acquiring haute couture brands and luxurious historic European properties. Her name became synonymous with international power in just two decades. She has even been described at times as “the matriarch of modern Qatar” or “the polished face of a conservative regime.”
Sheikha Moza bint Nasser of Qatar and Queen Maxima of The Netherlands

Sheikha Moza bint Nasser of Qatar and Queen Maxima of The Netherlands
Host of the Fashion Trust Arabia ceremony in Doha© Dave Benett/Getty Images for Fas
Host of the Fashion Trust Arabia ceremony in Doha

As often happens with a generational change, her son’s rise to head of state led her to step back so as not to overshadow her daughter-in-law, Sheikha Jawaher Bint Hamad Bin Suhaim Thani, who in 2022 was received alongside her husband by King Felipe and Queen Letizia during a state visit that drew significant attention due to the agreements being discussed between the two countries.

The Qatari sheikha at the graduation of one of the schools she has supported through her foundation this past May© Getty Images

The Qatari sheikha at the graduation of one of the schools she has supported through her foundation this past May
Her decision to step back, referred to as the “eternal sheikha,” was not a withdrawal in any sense. Moza bint Nasser scaled down her schedule for certain official engagements but remained an authority for her family and her country, as well as a hostess and a visible figure at sporting events, in the fashion world, and above all in anything related to the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science, and Community Development, of which she is president. She also promotes global education initiatives, especially in conflict-affected areas that she openly condemns on her social media. She has developed several programs for UNESCO, and although her role is officially non-political, her presence at international events and her close ties with world leaders make her an informal ambassador for her country abroad.