Prospective Manchester United owner Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani has been described as being ‘difficult to read’ in board meetings.
The Qatari banker is the frontrunner to take over from the Glazers at Old Trafford, with INEOS chairman Sir Jim Ratcliffe also battling for control. Little is known about Jassim, who appeared out of obscurity to launch his bid in February.
Jassim did not attend the presentation United hosted at Old Trafford, instead sending representatives of his Nine Two Foundation. The Qatari has instead kept a low profile aside from submitting improved offers to buy out the Glazers.
If Jassim does win the race to be named the preferred bidder ahead of Ratcliffe, United fans will be looking to see how he will handle himself. According to The Athletic, Jassim was quick to learn in a previous role as a non-independent director at Credit Suisse.
Though he was quiet at first, he soon became ‘very engaged’ and asked ‘very good’ questions. Jassim was also able to switch between English and Arabic with ease during meetings.
While that is impressive, that led to a sense that he can be ‘difficult to read’. Even when he chaired meetings it is claimed that he would appear to be ‘uninterested’ in what was being discussed.
At times, he would issue contrasting statements in the same meeting, leading to a sense that he had not been paying attention. That has in part been seen as being due to cultural differences, with Qatari board meetings being more of a ceremony compared to Western ones.
While he would appear to be distracted by some, Jassim was interested in details and he was interested in commercial matters. He also had a tendancy to invite a select group of executives to a traditional Qatari male-only sitting room.
In those meetings, more discreet business was discussed, with an invitation to one repsenting an acceptance into Jassim’s inner circle. Associates of Jassim have frequently described him as being ‘reserved’ and ‘guarded’.
Jassim is also said to have had a tendancy to smoke a cigarette during meetings. He earned a reputation for doing so at many of the companies he has served in senior positions at or been chairman of.
When he became disinterested in the content of meetings, the Qatari is also known to have started puffing on a cigar. Perhaps most important to United fans though is that he commanded attention whenever he spoke, thanks to his membership in the royal family.
