Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Former Emir of Qatar, Dies at 74

Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the former Emir of Qatar who ruled the country from 1995 to 2013, has died at the age of 74, Qatari government announcements confirmed on Sunday, July 12, 2026. He was born on January 1, 1952.

Sheikh Hamad came to power in 1995 in a bloodless palace coup, taking over from his father, Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani. He went on to lead Qatar for eighteen years, a period that reshaped the small Gulf state's standing in the region and the world.

During his reign, Sheikh Hamad transformed Qatar into a major global energy power, with the country's liquefied natural gas and natural gas production reaching roughly 77 million tonnes under his rule. He also established Qatar as a regional diplomatic and mediation hub, and in 1996 he founded Al Jazeera, the broadcaster that would go on to reshape media across the Arab world.

In 2013, Sheikh Hamad voluntarily abdicated the throne in favor of his son, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who continues to serve as Qatar's Emir. The handover was a rare instance of a voluntary transfer of power in the Gulf region, and it marked the end of Sheikh Hamad's eighteen-year rule.