Qatar's Former Ruler Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani Has Died at Age 74, State News Agency Says
He transformed Qatar into a global player in diplomacy, media and investment, and state media said he died at 74.
- Emir Sheikh Hamad, who transformed Qatar into a global diplomatic and economic player, has died at 74, the Qatar News Agency reported.
- Hamad took power in 1995 from his father, overseeing an 18-year reign that leveraged vast natural gas reserves to modernize Qatar before voluntarily abdicating to his son, Emir Sheikh Tamim, in 2013.
- His initiatives established the Jazeera television network in 1996 and the Qatar Investment Authority, which acquired prominent assets including London's Harrod, while Qatar hosted the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
- Qatar maintained security ties with the United States while cultivating independent relations with Iran, Hamas, Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood, and other regional actors, often drawing scrutiny from Western allies.
- Born in 1952, Hamad studied at Britain's Royal Military Academy Sandhurst before ascending to leadership; after stepping down in 2013, he remained an influential figure within the ruling family.
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Under the leadership of Sheik Hamad, the small nation of Qatar developed immense wealth of natural gas and cultivated influence far beyond its borders.
In his almost two decades in power, he redefined the economy and the international profile of the Arab country by relying on its vast gas reserves
Sheikh Hamad, the man behind Qatar's rise, dies at 74
Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the former emir who transformed Qatar from a small Gulf state into a global diplomatic, financial and media powerhouse, died at 74, Qatari state media announced. No cause of death was given. During his 18-year reign, Sheikh Hamad oversaw Qatar’s rise as a major exporter of natural gas, founded the influential Al Jazeera network, expanded Qatar Airways, secured the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and positioned Doha as a k…
Qatar’s former Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani dies at 74; PM Modi condoles demise
Qatar’s former Amir and father of Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who transformed the Gulf nation into a major global diplomatic and economic power, died on Sunday at the age of 74, according to the country’s Amiri Diwan.
The Qatari government announced the death, at 74, of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, who ruled Qatar from 1995 to 2013.
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