Stealing the palace of the Emir of Qatar in France without resistance

Thieves, including one armed, stormed the palace of the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim ben Hamad Al Thani, near the French seaside resort of Cannes, according to a source close to the case.

The robbers seized watches and other valuables, while Sheikh Tamim ben Hamad was not present when 4 people stormed his home in Mouans-Sartoux on Thursday night and Friday, the source said.

The robbery took place without violence, he said, adding that the thieves “did not put a gun to the heads of the people who were in the palace,” but “they submitted to his orders when they saw the weapon”.

“Although the Emir of Qatar was not inside the palace at the time of the incident, a number of family members were in the house, and a number of law enforcement agencies in the cities of Grass, Nice and Marseille have opened an investigation.”

Sheikh Hamad ben Khalifa al-Thani, who ceded power in 2013 to his son Sheikh Tamim, has been a family member of the palace, which covers an area of 30 hectares (130 acres) in Mouans-Sartoux.