The father emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, has died at the age of 74, says the Amiri Diwan, the emir’s office and bureaucratic centre of the Gulf country.
“With hearts steadfast in faith in God’s decree and destiny, the Amiri Diwan mourns the great loss to the nation of the late – may God have mercy on him – His Highness the Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who passed away this morning,” the Amiri Diwan said in a statement on Sunday.
Sheikh Hamad, who ruled Qatar from 1995 to 2013, was a key architect of the energy-rich country’s stunning development.
During his reign, the country saw economic, social and cultural development that bolstered its status in the international community.
Sheikh Hamad oversaw major economic investment and fostered wide-ranging international partnerships as the country became the world’s largest exporter of liquefied natural gas.
Qatar’s political influence today stretches across North Africa, the Middle East and Asia. In 2022, Qatar hosted the men’s FIFA World Cup, the world’s most-watched football tournament. Sheikh Hamad received rapturous applause from fans attending its opening match.
His time in office saw the launch of the international broadcaster Al Jazeera in 1996.
Sheikh Hamad’s tenure also saw the promulgation of Qatar’s first permanent constitution in 2004 and the introduction of municipal elections, in which women were allowed to vote and stand as candidates.
In 2013, he handed over power to his son, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who was then 33, in a rare abdication by a hereditary Gulf Arab ruler.
Several world leaders offered their condolences for the death of Sheikh Hamad.
