The first ever Qatar Shura Council elections held in October 2021 were seen as a significant step towards increasing citizens’ inclusion in the political process. However, the electoral process faced numerous challenges, such as the legal framework’s limitations regarding voting rights and the distribution of voters among tribally determined electoral districts. Many Qatari citizens complained about the lack of inclusiveness of the electoral law that affected particular tribal groups, as well as it made clear that women’s chances of winning a seat were almost impossible. Despite these challenges, the elections presented an opportunity for Sheikh Tamim Al-Thani’s new leadership to increase citizens’ awareness and engagement with the political process, even boosted by the ongoing blockade. The elections aimed at providing citizens with some capacity to elect at least their tribal representatives to the legislative chamber, but without fully complying with all the requirements for an electoral process to be considered as democratic, according to the international standards. Therefore, Sheikh Tamim sought to implement the political reforms that his father, Sheikh Hamad Al Thani, set in the 2003 constitution, and that were postponed since then until 2021 due to several reasons, including the succession to his son Tamim in 2013. The research will attempt to determine whether these elections represent a real change in the political process in terms of citizen inclusion in the decision-making process. The paper will also examine the opportunities and challenges these elections may present for Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani's new leadership political agenda and how they affected Qatar’s governance.