On Sunday the Qatar-owned Al Jazeera television news channel reported that the sheikh “will meet Monday with the royal family and advisors.”

“The planned meeting comes amid news about the intentions of the emir to transfer power to his heir apparent, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani,” said the Qatar-based news channel.

Sheikh Hamad is due to address the nation on Tuesday.

Sheikh Hamad came to power in a coup when he overthrew his own father Sheikh Khalifa in June 1995 while he was in Geneva, Switzerland.

He will either hand over power to Sheikh Tamim or appoint him prime minister in the place of powerful premier Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem bin Jabr al-Thani, according to AFP.

Tamim is the fourth son of the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, and the second child of the Emir with his second wife, Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned.

Qatar took part in the armed intervention in Libya and is actively supporting rebel forces in Syria.

The Emir is famous for helping to establish the first Arab international news network, Al Jazeera.

Qatar holds the world’s third largest natural gas reserves and is the single largest supplier of liquefied natural gas. Qatar is also a member of OPEC and is a significant net exporter of oil.