Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the former Emir of Qatar, died on Sunday at the age of 74, according to an announcement from the Amiri Diwan.
Sheikh Hamad ruled Qatar from 1995 until 2013, when he became one of the few Gulf rulers in modern history to abdicate voluntarily, handing power to his fourth son, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who remains Emir today.
His tenure reshaped Qatar’s place in the world. Under his leadership, the country expanded its liquefied natural gas production and exports at scale, generating the wealth that would come to underpin Qatar’s outsized influence in regional and global affairs. Qatar is frequently cited as one of the wealthiest countries in the world on a per-capita basis.
Sheikh Hamad also oversaw Qatar’s successful bid to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup, awarded in 2010. The announcement set off more than a decade of infrastructure investment that produced the modern Doha skyline and cemented the country’s ambitions as a host of international events.
