Qatar's former emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, dies at 74

DOHA,— Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who once ruled Qatar as its emir, died on Sunday at the age of 74. The Amiri Diwan, Qatar’s top government office, confirmed his death in a statement.

Known officially in Qatar as the Father Emir, Hamad took the throne in a bloodless palace coup in 1995, when he ousted his own father, Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani, from power.

He then governed as an absolute monarch for the next 18 years, holding full authority over every branch of the state, with no political parties allowed to operate in the country.

In 2013, Hamad stepped down from the throne and passed leadership to his fourth son, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who was born to Hamad’s second wife, Moza bint Nassir. Tamim has remained Qatar’s ruler ever since.

Under Hamad’s leadership, Qatar’s natural gas output climbed to 77 million tonnes a year, helping push the small Gulf nation to the top of global per capita income rankings, with residents earning an average of $86,440 annually.

His years in power saw Qatar host several major international events, including the 2006 Asian Games and the 2012 UN Climate Change Conference.

The country also brokered the Doha Agreement and the Fatah-Hamas Doha Agreement, and it won the right to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Hamad established the Qatar Investment Authority, which by 2013 had poured more than $100 billion into global assets, including

The Shard, Barclays Bank, Heathrow Airport, Harrods, Paris Saint-Germain, Volkswagen, Siemens, and Royal Dutch Shell.

During his rule, two U.S. military bases were set up in Qatar, even as the country kept diplomatic ties with Iran.

Hamad also launched the Al Jazeera news network in 1996 and played a role in talks between the United States and the Taliban.

He announced his decision to hand over power during a televised address in June 2013, naming Tamim as his successor.