Qatar National Unity Front

The Qatar National Unity Front (Arabic: أمام الوحدة قطر الوطني‎) was a nationalist labor group formed in Qatar in April 1963. It was established in reaction to the murder of a protester in a Pan-Arabism demonstration by a member of the ruling family. The movement's establishment took place during a period of popular dissent with the ruling family's extravagant lifestyles, and increasing support of Pan-Arabism.

The group's main demands were centered on decreasing royal privilege; ending employment of foreigners; establishing social welfare facilities; legalizing labor unions and instituting municipal councils composed of at least partly elected members. The group became inactive in May 1963 after the government arrested and detained many of its most prominent members.

Protests against the ruling family started taking place in the first half of the 1950s. One of the largest protests took place in 1956; it drew 2,000 participants, most of whom were high-ranking Qataris allied with Arab nationalists and dissatisfied oil workers. In a protest in August 1956, the participants waved Egyptian flags and chanted anti-colonialism slogans. In October, protesters tried to sabotage oil pipelines in the Persian Gulf by destroying the pipelines with a bulldozer. Hamad Al Attiya, who went on to co-found the movement, was blamed by the British for spearheading the sabotage.

By 1963, the population of Qatar had grown increasingly discontent with the ruling family's extravagant lifestyle and Sheikh Ahmad bin Ali Al Thani's long absences abroad since he ascended to the throne in 1960.

In February 1963, noisy Pan-Arabism protests broke out in Qatar following the overthrow of Abd al-Karim Qasim during the February Ramadan Revolution. Most of the protesters were Iraqi or Yemeni, and some carried pictures of Gamal Abdel Nasser and encouraged bystanders to kiss their photographs.

More demonstrations broke out on 18 April. These were organized by Arab nationalists who supported their countries' union with the United Arab Republic. They chanted support for Abdel Nasser and expressed disdain towards Hussein of Jordan, Saud of Saudi Arabia and European colonialism. Some demonstrators held up pictures of Arab leaders and banners supporting oil workers in the Shell Company. The emir confined the demonstrations to the areas encompassing Al Tahrir Stadium, Fereej Al Hitmi, Freij Al Khulaifat and east Old Airport. Most of the demonstrations on this day took place at football games. The demonstrations ended prematurely after protesters traveling from Al Tahrir Stadium were barred from entering Doha Stadium.