Quatar: Emir Tamim watches handball

Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani was spotted in the stands as Egypt took on Germany at the Handball World Championship in Qatar on 26 January. Germany’s win (23-16) prevented a quarter-final clash between Egypt and Qatar, who have been trying recently to put their political differences behind them. Lingering political tensions were thought to have been a factor in the decision by Bahrain and the UAE to withdraw from the tournament. Tamim gave the start signal for the tournament on 15 January, at an opening ceremony which featured children from local schools, a Qatar army parachute team and a fireworks display.