For the second summer in a row, Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber al-Thani, Sheikh of Qatar, has chosen the beautiful island of Skiathos as the first stop of his tour of the islands.

A few days ago, his luxurious yacht “Al Mirqab” dropped anchor in Maratha beach, in a walking distance from the area of Koukounaries.

The member of the Arab Royal Family arrived in Skiathos for a short vacation with his two wives, three of his fifteen children and a few friends.

His presence was immediately noticed by both the locals and the tourists, mainly due to his impressive 133 meters yacht worth 300 million dollars.

The blue-blooded PM

Hamad bin Jaber al-Thani is a member of the royal family of Qatar. He held the position of the prime minister of Qatar from 2007 until 2013 and he was also the foreign minister of the country from 1992 until 2013.

He is the cousin of the all too familiar to Greeks Emir of Qatar Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani. Two years ago Hamad bin Jaber al-Thani was included in a list issued by the TIME magazine entitled “The World’s 100 Most Influential People”.

From 1982 to 1996 Hamad was married to Jawaher bint Fahad Al Thani. Then he married Noor Al Subaie, the daughter of the former minister of education, in 1996. He has 15 children.

Al Mirqab

Al Mirqab is one of the largest yachts ever built. The sheik’s yacht, which cost him $300 million, has a swimming pool, a helipad, jacuzzi, cinema room and five suites.
The yacht was built in 2008 at Peters Schiffbau Wewelsfleth yard in Germany. Her architect was Tim Heywood, while the interior design was done by Andrew Winch Designs.