An emir is a Muslim ruler — a prince or commander — especially in the Middle East and in some parts of Africa. The title comes from Arabic for “commander”. Today English speakers meet it most with the Gulf: the emir of Qatar, the emir of Kuwait. Though actually, in everyday Taiwan news the same man is often called 酋長, a broader word for “chief”. Emir is the more precise English title. It is not the same thing as a king in every country, and it is not empire, which only looks a little similar and means a huge group of lands. Some English writers use amir for the same title; that is the same Arabic word with another spelling.