Summary Qatari former Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani has died at the age of 74, the nation's Amiri Diwan, its top government body, said on Sunday
DUBAI (Reuters) – Qatar's former emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, a sweeping moderniser who seized power in 1995 and broke with tradition to hand it over to his son 18 years later, has died at the age of 74.
Qatar's top government body, the Amiri Diwan, announced that Sheikh Hamad had died on Sunday morning. It did not mention the cause of his death.
“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.
The Qatar that the current Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani inherited was already well on its way to being remade by his father.
Sheikh Hamad presided over one of the most consequential periods in the country’s history, driving a rapid transformation of the tiny desert state that reshaped its economy, global profile and political ambition.
A forceful, independent-minded personality, he explained in a speech to mark his abdication in 2013 that he wanted a new generation "with their innovative ideas and active energies" to take over.
Sheikh Hamad was the architect of Qatar’s effort to develop its liquefied natural gas (LNG) infrastructure that allowed it to get its vast gas reserves to global markets, turning the state into one of the world’s largest exporters and laying the foundations for its vast wealth.
He established media network Al Jazeera, which gave Qatar an outsized voice in Arab politics and projected its influence far beyond the Gulf. He also oversaw the successful bid to host the 2022 soccer World Cup, a move that firmly put Qatar on the global stage and accelerated a decade of infrastructure building that remade the capital Doha.
LAYING GROUNDWORK FOR QATAR'S ROLE AS PEACE BROKER
His foreign policy carved out a role for Qatar as a mediator, brokering talks in conflicts from Lebanon to Yemen and Darfur while maintaining ties with the United States — hosting US Central Command — as well as Iran and groups aligned with it. That balancing act laid the groundwork for Qatar’s current role in negotiations between the United States and Iran, and in its years-long efforts to halt the war in Gaza.
Qatar under Sheikh Hamad played a prominent and controversial role during the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings, using its resources and outsized influence to back revolutionary movements and Islamist groups across the region. While Doha portrayed its policy as support for popular demands for political change, critics accused it — and Sheikh Hamad — of selectively backing factions aligned with its interests, particularly groups linked to the Muslim Brotherhood.
This put Sheikh Hamad at odds with fellow Gulf monarchs in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which viewed many of these movements as a threat to regional stability and monarchical rule. The activism elevated Qatar's regional profile but also deepened tensions with its neighbours and left a legacy that continues to shape Gulf politics.
COUP AND ATTEMPTED COUNTER-COUP
Sheikh Hamad’s abdication was intended to ensure a smooth succession and minimise discord within a ruling family with a long history of palace intrigue.
He himself seized power from his father in a bloodless coup in 1995. A year later, he survived an attempted counter-coup that analysts attributed to his father, who had come to power in similar fashion in 1972 by ousting his cousin.
One of Sheikh Hamad’s most consequential partners in Qatar’s modernisation drive was one of his wives, Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, who fostered a public profile that was rare for a Gulf ruler’s wife. Sheikha Moza’s influence rose alongside his efforts to reposition the state at home and abroad.
While Sheikh Hamad pushed through political and economic reforms that reshaped the country’s trajectory, she advanced a parallel agenda in education, research and social development.
When the emir took power, he was the youngest leader in the region at 44. He was viewed as less aloof than other Gulf Arab leaders, and could often be found at his favourite café in Doha's souq, talking with the patrons.
He ruled the nation from 1995 until 2013, when he abdicated the throne to his fourth son, the current Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
He seized power from his father, Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani, in a bloodless palace coup d'état in 1995.
Hamad was born in 1952. He graduated from the British Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst in 1971, and was then commissioned as a lieutenant colonel in Qatar's armed forces. A few months later he returned to Qatar and was made commander of a mobile brigade, which later became a force called "Hamad Brigade". In 1972, Hamad had the rank of general, and became army chief of staff. He was appointed commander-in-chief of Qatar's armed forces with the rank of major general. In 1977 he was named minister of defense.
He was appointed Heir Apparent of Qatar in 1977 and held the post until 1995.
As emir of Qatar, Hamad ruled the country as an absolute monarch, with supreme authority over all branches of state power, and no political parties were allowed.
During his 18-year rule, Qatar's natural gas production reached 77 million tonnes, making Qatar the richest country in the world per capita with the average income in the country being US$86,440 a year per person. During his reign, several sports and diplomatic events took place in Qatar, including the 2006 Asian Games, 2012 UN Climate Change Conference, Doha Agreement, Fatah–Hamas Doha Agreement, and the decision to hold the 2022 FIFA World Cup in the country. He established the Qatar Investment Authority. By 2013, it had invested over $100 billion around the world, including The Shard, Barclays Bank, Heathrow Airport, Harrods, Paris Saint-Germain F.C., Volkswagen, Siemens, and Royal Dutch Shell.
During Hamad's rule, Qatar began hosting two US military bases while also maintaining relations with Iran. The Sheikh founded news media group Al Jazeera in 1996, and also played a part in negotiations between the US and the Taliban.
He also played a pivotal role in transforming Qatar into a global diplomatic hub. Under his leadership, the country undertook mediation efforts in several regional conflicts, including those in Sudan, Lebanon, Palestine and Afghanistan. In 2012, he became the first head of state to visit Gaza, where he announced a $400 million aid package to support reconstruction projects and investment in the Palestinian territory.
During his rule, Qatar also assumed a more active role in regional affairs. The country's support for NATO's intervention in Libya during the Arab Spring and its political backing of the Syrian opposition significantly raised its international profile. However, Qatar's ties with Iran, Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood also led to tensions with several Arab states and some of its Western allies.
In June 2013, Hamad, in a brief televised address, announced that he would hand power to his fourth son, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
