Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, former emir who transformed Qatar into global LNG power, dies at 74
Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who ruled Qatar from 1995 to 2013 and oversaw its transformation into the world's largest LNG exporter, died on Sunday at age 74. The royal court announced a four-day mourning period; funeral prayers were held at Imam Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab Mosque in Doha.
Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the former emir of Qatar known as the Father Emir, has died at the age of 74. His death was announced on Sunday by the Amiri Diwan, which did not specify the cause. A public mourning period of four days was declared, with Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, his son and successor, receiving visiting heads of state and dignitaries at Lusail Palace until Wednesday.
Rise to power
Sheikh Hamad seized power from his father, Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani, in a bloodless palace coup on 27 June 1995 while the former emir was travelling in Switzerland. He had been appointed heir apparent in 1977 and served as minister of defence after studying at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the United Kingdom. His father had ruled since 1972 after deposing a relative; the Al Thani clan has governed Qatar since 1825.
In 2013, Sheikh Hamad voluntarily abdicated in favour of his son Tamim, a move the AFP described as the first such voluntary transfer of power in the modern history of the Arab world. He justified the decision by saying it was time for a new generation.
Economic transformation
When Sheikh Hamad took power, Qatar faced depleting oil reserves and financial strain. During his 18-year reign, gross domestic product expanded 24-fold, driven by enormous investments in natural gas. The North Field, the world's largest gas reservoir shared with Iran, powered an LNG export industry that began shipments in 1996. By 2006 Qatar had become the world's largest LNG exporter, and by 2010 its production capacity reached 77 million tonnes per annum.
The economy expanded on an unprecedented scale.
He and his second wife, Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, drove the creation of the Qatar Investment Authority, a sovereign wealth fund that now oversees roughly $600 billion in assets. The fund invested gas revenues in real estate, banks, and Western companies, from Costa Smeralda to Paris Saint-Germain. A permanent constitution was adopted after a referendum, the first municipal elections were held, and the Qatar National Vision 2030 was established, aiming for a knowledge-based economy and sustainable development.
- Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani born in Doha
- Appointed heir apparent and minister of defence
- Seizes power in bloodless coup while father is in Switzerland
- LNG exports begin; Al Jazeera launched
- Qatar becomes world's largest LNG exporter
- Wins right to host 2022 FIFA World Cup
- Voluntarily abdicates in favour of son Sheikh Tamim
- Dies aged 74; funeral prayers held at Imam Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab Mosque
Media, sport and global profile
Under Sheikh Hamad, Qatar created the Al Jazeera news network. In December 2010, the country won the right to host the 2022 FIFA men's World Cup, becoming the first Arab nation to stage the tournament. The bid was marred by bribery allegations, and Qatar later faced criticism over its treatment of foreign workers and its human rights record.
His vision set the stage for the nation to emerge as a player in the Gulf region and beyond.
Foreign policy and mediation
Sheikh Hamad pursued a strategy of balancing irreconcilable interlocutors. Qatar hosted the largest US military base in the region, Al Udeid, while maintaining relations with Iran, Hamas, the Taliban, and the Muslim Brotherhood. Doha acted as mediator in crises including the 2008 Doha Agreement between Lebanese factions and the 2011 Doha Document for Peace in Darfur. In 2012, Sheikh Hamad became the first head of state to visit Gaza under Hamas, pledging 400 million dollars in aid.
Qatar also maintained an Israeli trade office until 2008, established after a 1996 visit by Shimon Peres, despite the absence of formal diplomatic ties. Support for rebels in Libya and Syria, including military supplies, drew accusations that Qatar favoured jihadist groups, which Doha consistently rejected, claiming a policy rooted in mediation.
Funeral and reactions
Funeral prayers followed the Maghrib evening prayer after sunset on Sunday at the Imam Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab Mosque in Doha. Rows of men in traditional Qatari dress faced the shrouded body of Sheikh Hamad. Close family members, including Sheikh Tamim, carried the body out of the mosque. He was laid to rest at Lusail Cemetery in what Al Jazeera's Zein Basravi described as a simple Islamic burial.
This will be a simple Islamic funeral ceremony, a simple Islamic burial.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed condolences on social media, calling Sheikh Hamad a visionary leader who played a decisive role in Qatar's development and that of the wider region.
