New Qatar emir gives first address

The new emir of the State of Qatar has made his first public address since taking over from his father, who he praised as the architect of the Gulf State.

Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on Wednesday addressed his nation and international audiences in a speech that promised to continue with his father's reform agenda and growth projects.

In a speech that largely focused on domestic affairs, the young emir, who is assuming the leadership role at the age of 33, said the the development and training of human capital was key to the success of Qatar and that he wanted to increase the productivity of the nation, not just its wealth.

Michael Stephens, a researcher at the Royal United Services Institute, told Al Jazeera that Sheikh Tamim had been taking a lead role in Qatar's affairs since 2011.