Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the emir who guided the transformation of Qatar into a major global player, has died at the age of 74.

"The Amiri Diwan announced the death of HH the Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani on Sunday morning," Qatar's top government ⁠body ⁠said.

Sheikh Hamad ruled Qatar from 1995 until 2013, when he became one of the first modern Arab leaders to voluntarily abdicate, handing power to his son, the current emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

Who was Qatar's former emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani?

Sheikh Hamad was born in 1952 into the Al Thani family, which has ruled Qatar since the mid-19th century.

He attended the United Kingdom's military academy, Sandhurst, and became commander of Qatar's armed forces and defense minister.

In the late 1970s, he was named crown prince and came to power in a bloodless coup in 1995, deposing his father while he was abroad.

Transformation of modern Qatar

It was under Sheikh Hamad that Qatar transformed from a small, largely marginal emirate with nearly empty coffers into a regional powerhouse.

Sheikh Hamad oversaw Qatar becoming one of the wealthiest countries on the planet in terms of GDP per capita, leveraging its large natural gas reserves to become one of the top producers and exporters of liquefied natural gas (LNG).

It was also under Sheikh Hamad that the emirate launched the Al Jazeera news network and expanded the country's global influence through investments and diplomacy.

During his reign, Qatar Airways also grew into a top international carrier, while the Qatari capital city, Doha, became a major transport hub.

Sheikh Hamad's name is also borne by a hospital in Gaza City. Under his reign, Qatar began paying hundreds of millions of dollars to fund projects in the Gaza Strip.

World Cup criticism and diplomatic isolation

He also presided over Qatar's successful bid to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The bid in 2010 was marred by allegations of corruption, while the run-up to the tournament saw Qatar come in for criticism over its treatment of migrant workers who built stadiums and other infrastructure for the competition.

During Sheikh Hamad's reign, Qatar was diplomatically isolated from its neighbors for several years.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt boycotted Qatar, closing diplomatic channels and blocking Qatari land, sea, and air routes through the Gulf region.

The group accused Doha of supporting terrorism through its backing for the political Islamist movement of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Edited by: Karl Sexton

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