Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani during the opening ceremony of the Gulf Cup, Khalifa International Stadium, Doha, Qatar, November 26, 2019. PHOTO: REUTERS
Qatar’s former emir, who revolutionised Qatar out of its Bedouin background to a regional powerhouse, has died at the age of 74, the nation’s Amiri Diwan, its top government body, said on Sunday.
Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani ruled Qatar from 1995 to 2013, before abdicating to his son Sheikh Tamim, the current leader of the gas-rich Gulf country.
“The Amiri Diwan announced the death of HH the Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani on Sunday morning. May Allah have mercy on his soul and grant him the best reward for what he achieved for his homeland and nation,” the Diwan said.
بيان من الديوان الأميري: بقلوب مؤمنة بقضاء الله وقدره، ينعى الديوان الأميري، فقيد الوطن الكبير المغفور له بإذن الله صاحب السمو الأمير الوالد الشيخ حمد بن خليفة آل ثاني، الذي وافته المنية صباح اليوم 27 محرم 1448 الموافق 12 يوليو 2026، عن عمر ناهز 74 عامًا. https://t.co/tXWvru50tA
— الديوان الأميري (@AmiriDiwan) July 12, 2026
Sheikh Hamad had elevated Qatar’s global profile through the development of the Al Jazeera television network, as well as its successful bid to host the 2022 soccer World Cup tournament.
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The United States-allied state is small, with more than 2.5 million people, but is the world’s largest exporter of liquefied natural gas, a global investment powerhouse, and heavy hitter in Middle East diplomacy and international media.
Sheikh Hamad handed power to his son, the then crown prince, in June 2013 in a rare abdication by a hereditary Gulf Arab ruler, to try to ensure a smooth succession.
He himself had overthrown his father in a bloodless coup in 1995.
