Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the former Emir of Qatar whose 18-year reign transformed one of the Gulf’s smallest states into a global energy, media and diplomatic powerhouse, died in Doha on Sunday at the age of 74, the Amiri Diwan confirmed.
Known as Qatar’s Father Emir, Sheikh Hamad assumed power in 1995 when Qatar’s economy was modest and dependent on oil. By the time he voluntarily abdicated in favour of his son, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, in 2013, Qatar had become the world’s largest exporter of liquefied natural gas, its GDP had grown from $8 billion to $199 billion, and its sovereign wealth fund had become one of the largest on earth with stakes in global real estate, banking, aviation and sports.
He launched Al Jazeera in 1996, founded Qatar Foundation with his wife Sheikha Moza bint Nasser in 1995, abolished press censorship, held the Gulf’s first democratic municipal elections in which women voted and stood as candidates in 1999, gave Qatar its first permanent constitution in 2004 and secured the right to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
In foreign policy, he positioned Qatar as an indispensable mediator, brokering in Lebanon, Darfur, Yemen and between Palestinian factions, maintaining open channels with Iran, Hamas and the United States simultaneously. His peaceful handover of power in 2013 was described as a rare occurrence in the Arab world.
He was born in Doha in January 1952 and graduated from Britain’s Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. No cause of death was announced.
