Former Qatar emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani dies at 74

Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the ruler who transformed Qatar from a modest Gulf state into a wealthy regional power with outsized diplomatic reach, died at 74. He governed from 1995 to 2013, when he handed power to his heir apparent, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who has ruled since.

Born in Doha in January 1952, Sheikh Hamad graduated from Sandhurst in 1971 before rising to the top of one of the Gulf’s most influential ruling families. Qatar’s Amiri Diwan described him as one of the country’s iconic leaders and the architect of its modern revival, language that captures how closely his name became tied to the state’s transformation.

The economic change under his rule was stark. Qatar Foundation says Sheikh Hamad and Sheikha Moza bint Nasser shared a vision for the country’s future about three decades ago, a partnership that helped create the organization. The foundation says Qatar’s gross domestic product increased by more than 24 times during his reign, while per capita GDP rose by about six times, figures that helped underwrite the country’s rise in infrastructure, education and global reach.

His foreign policy left a similarly durable mark. In October 2005, Qatar won a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council for 2005-2006 and chaired the council in October 2006, a milestone for a country of its size. The Amiri Diwan also counts among his era’s diplomatic moves the establishment of the Qatari Committee for the Rescue of Jerusalem in April 1996, mediation efforts between Sudan and Eritrea, and the Doha Declaration on Palestinian reconciliation signed on February 6, 2012.

He stepped aside publicly on June 25, 2013, after announcing in an address to the Qatari people that he was handing power to Sheikh Tamim. That transition ended an 18-year reign, but the institutions, wealth and diplomatic habits built under Sheikh Hamad continued to define Qatar long after he left office.