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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He broke molds within the Qatari monarchy by giving prominence to his wife, an international icon, and by abdicating in life to ensure the replacement of his son Tamim
The emir dies at the age of 74, leaving behind the legacy of man who transformed the country into one of the world's greatest energy powers.
Ex-Qatari emir Sheikh Hamad dies at 74
Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the former emir who transformed Qatar from a small state into a major player in global diplomacy, energy and media, has died at the age of 74, the country's royal court announced on Sunday.
Qatar has dawned with sad news. Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the former emir who transformed the small Gulf emirate into an international power, has died at age 74. The news has been confirmed by Diwan Amiri, the official headquarters of the government and the administrative office of the Emir, through an official communiqué broadcast on social networks and which has quickly shocked the country.
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