Interesting Facts to Know About Qatar's Sheikha Moza

One of the most elegant women in the world is Sheikha Moza, wife of former ruler Hamad bin Khalifa al Thani and mother of Qatar's current emir.

Sheikha Moza was born in Qatar but grew up in Egypt and Kuwait. She returned to Qatar in 1977, at age of 18, to marry Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, a member of Qatar’s royal family.

She is also the second wife of former Qatari ruler Hamad bin Khalifa al Thani’s three wives.

Her Majesty Sheikha Moza bint Nasser plays an important role in advancing Qatar's National Vision, an ambitious plan to make the country a vibrant, knowledge-based society by 2030.

Sheikha Moza has spearheaded social and educational reforms in her nation for more than 15 years.

In addition to her sociology degree from Qatar University, Sheikha Moza has honorary doctorates from Virginia Commonwealth University, Texas A&M University, Carnegie Mellon University, Imperial College London, and Georgetown University.

She is considered the most fashionable woman in the Middle East, not only Qatar.

Among Sheikha Moza's many honours are the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy and the George Bush Award for Excellence in Public Service in 2013. 

She was admitted into the prominent French organisation, the Academie des Beaux Arts de l'Institut de France (Academy of Fine Arts of the Institute of France), which promotes the arts via education and aids in the formation of creative ties on a global scale, in June 2009.

Sheikha Moza received the renowned Chatham House Award in 2007 for her services to fostering global understanding.

Moza, who has been described as “the Babe Paley of the Middle East,” was named to the International Best Dressed List in 2015.

The sheikha’s fascination with fashion has also impacted business decisions: In 2010, the Qatari royal family purchased London’s iconic Harrods department store for $1.7 billion; two years later, they snapped up Italy’s legendary Valentino fashion house for more than $857 million.

In addition, Sheikha Moza plays an active role with the United Nations (UN) to support global education.

In 2003, she was appointed as UNESCO’s Special Envoy for Basic and Higher Education. In 2012, she was appointed as a Steering Committee Member of the UN Secretary-General’s Global Education First Initiative.

 She serves as Chairperson of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF), a private non-profit organisation founded in 1995.

In addition to her work at Qatar Foundation, Sheikha Moza served as the Vice Chair of the Supreme Council of Health from 2009-2014 and as the Vice Chair of the Supreme Education Council from 2006-2012.

She chairs the Sidra Medical and Research Centre, a new training and research hospital that is envisaged to become a leading institution for women and children’s specialty care.

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Moza bint Nasser (@mozabintnasser)

In 2007, Forbes magazine named her the 79th most powerful woman in the world, a title which increased her stature among Arab women everywhere.

In 2011, Moza placed second on the Vanity Fair International Best Dressed Women's list.