Khalid bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani | |
---|---|
Born | Doha, Qatar | 4 September 1986
House | Thani |
Father | Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani |
Mother | Noora bint Khalid Al Thani |
Khalid bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani (Arabic: خالد بن حمد بن خليفة آل ثاني; born 4 September 1986)[1][2] is a member of the ruling Al Thani Qatari royal family and half-brother of the ruling emir.
Sheikh Khalid is the owner of Al-Annabi Racing. He is a son of the former emir of Qatar, Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and his first cousin Sheikha Noora bint Khalid Al Thani.[3] In 2009, he invested around $10 million in Al-Anabi Racing in an attempt to promote Qatar's national image in the drag racing scene.[4]
Legal Issues
In August 2013, Sheikh Khalid abruptly left the U.S. "after his yellow Ferrari was caught on camera racing through Beverly Hills," Los Angeles. Police were considering charging Sheikh Khalid with reckless driving and other offenses.[5][6][7]
In July 2019, a lawsuit was filed against Sheikh Khalid, alleging he attempted to enlist his American security staffer to murder two people and hold another American captive. In the fall of 2017, security guard Matthew Pittard alleges that Sheikh Khalid "solicited" him to murder a man and a woman whom he "viewed as threats to his social reputation and personal security." Sheikh Khalid also allegedly threatened Pittard at gunpoint and said "he would kill him, bury his body in the desert, and kill Pittard's family."[8][9][10]
A U.S. federal lawsuit was filed in the commonwealth of Massachusetts in 2020 by former staffers of Al Thani accusing him of rape, assault, kidnapping, and murder of rivals. Among the crimes he was accused of was ordering the murder of the owner of the American Drag Racing League as well as beating his wife’s driver to death.[11][12] In documents filed at a court in Boston, the Qatari royal was accused of exploiting and torturing migrant workers at his residence in Doha.[13] One of the plaintiffs, Terry Hope, said he witnessed Sheikh Khalid beat to death an Indian national who was employed as his wife’s driver because the victim was late in picking her up after a Doha shopping spree.[14]
References
- ^ "Qatar Racing Club". qrc.qa. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
- ^ Futterman, Matthew (23 April 2009). "Drag Racing's Patron Sheik". Wall Street Journal.
- ^ Futterman, Futterman (22 April 2009). "Drag Racing's Patron Sheik". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 1 October 2015.
- ^ Phil Barber (28 July 2013). "Qatari Sheikh owns successful dragsters". The Press Democrat. Retrieved 1 October 2015.
- ^ "Qatari sheikh leaves US after Ferrari race through LA". BBC. 18 September 2015.
- ^ "Owner of speeding Ferrari in Beverly Hills is drag-racing Qatar prince". Los Angeles Times. 17 September 2015.
- ^ "Where is Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad al Thani? Beverly Hills wants to know". Los Angeles Times. 21 September 2015.
- ^ "American employees sue Qatar emir's brother after pistol pulled during sacking". The National. 8 August 2019.
- ^ "Qatari sheikh accused of asking guard to commit double murder". The Times. 7 August 2019.
- ^ "Qatari Emir's brother imprisoned staff, ordered them to kill for him: US lawsuit". Al Arabiya. 7 August 2019.
- ^ "Qatar prince accused of rape and murder in US lawsuit". 19 June 2020.
- ^ "Qatar's bad-boy Sheikh told to maintain low profile because of lawsuits". 12 June 2020.
- ^ "Qatari royal 'delivered electric shock punishment' to worker as example to others". The National News. 30 September 2020.
- ^ "More witnesses added to lawsuit detailing Qatari Sheikh's murderous lifestyle". Arab News Japan. 17 June 2020.