Former Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani dies at age 74
The "Father Emir," was known for launching Al-Jazeera, securing the 2022 World Cup, and aggressively developing the nation's massive natural gas reserves
Former Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, the father of the nation’s current ruler, Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, has died at the age of 74.
In a statement published on social media, the Emir's office expressed its profound grief, noting that the "Father Emir" passed away on Sunday morning. Qatari authorities have announced four days of national mourning, during which flags will fly at half-mast.
Coming to power in June 1995, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani played a central role in the political, economic, and diplomatic rise of Qatar from the mid-1990s onward. By aggressively developing the nation's massive natural gas reserves, he transformed the small Gulf state into one of the world's wealthiest countries per capita. One year after the beginning of his reign, the emirate launched the satellite news channel Al-Jazeera, which has since become one of the main instruments of its regional and global influence.
Under his authority, Qatar also obtained from FIFA the organization of the football World Cup, which was eventually held in 2022 during his son's reign. Sheikh Hamad voluntarily abdicated and transferred power to his son, Sheikh Tamim, in 2013.
In 1996, just a year after seizing power, Sheikh Hamad made Qatar the first Gulf Cooperation Council state to grant de facto recognition to Israel by allowing an official Israeli Trade Representation Office to open in Doha. That same year, the Qatari capital welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres for a historic visit. Despite fierce backlash from regional powers like Saudi Arabia and Iran, Sheikh Hamad continued to foster backchannel diplomacy, even hosting Israel's trade minister at a major economic summit in Doha in 1997.
Relations severely deteriorated during the Second Intifada in the early 2000s, prompting Qatar to temporarily freeze ties. The definitive rupture occurred in January 2009, when Sheikh Hamad ordered the permanent closure of the Israeli trade office in Doha and expelled all Israeli diplomats following Operation Cast Lead, Israel's military offensive in the Gaza Strip.
Following the break, Sheikh Hamad leaned heavily into supporting the Palestinian cause, particularly in Gaza. His historic 2012 visit to the territory alongside his wife, Sheikha Moza, cemented a new paradigm for Doha. While Qatar no longer held formal diplomatic relations with Israel, the channels built under Sheikh Hamad's tenure allowed Doha to transform into the primary intermediary between Israel and Hamas—a legacy of backchannel communication that his son continues to utilize today.
Funeral prayers for the former leader are scheduled to be held Sunday evening at the Imam Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab Mosque in Doha, followed by burial at the Lusail Cemetery.