On Sunday morning, Qatari authorities announced the death of the country’s former Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani , who passed away at the age of 75.
In accordance with Muslim customs, funeral services were held on Sunday evening at the Mohammed ibn Abdul Wahhab Mosque in Doha amid a large turnout which included current Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani and other members of the ruling family.
Sheikh Hamad was later laid to rest at the Lusail Cemetery.
He was the fifth Emir of Qatar and one of the most prominent leaders in the country's modern history. Sheikh Hamad is closely associated with Qatar’s transformation from a small Gulf state with limited influence into a major regional and international player.
His accession to power in 1995 marked a strategic turning point in Qatar’s history. Over 18 years of his rule, Qatar became a major force in energy, diplomacy, media, and sport, and took up causes like the Arab Spring and solidarity with the long-suffering people of Gaza.
Sheikh Hamad laid the foundations for an active foreign policy, a strong economy, and influential educational and media institutions, securing Qatar’s place on the international stage.
He was born in 1952 in Doha and as a young man enrolled at the Sandhurst Military Academy in the Uk, undergoing advanced military training and graduating in 1971.
After returning to Qatar, he became Commander-in-Chief of the Qatari Armed Forces with the rank of Major General. In 1977, he was appointed Crown Prince.
During the 1980s, he chaired the Supreme Planning Council, which was responsible for formulating Qatar's key economic and social policies. From 1992 onward, he gradually assumed responsibility for the day-to-day administration of the country, including overseeing the development of Qatar's oil and natural gas resources.
After assuming power in Qatar on 27 June 1995, he led an ambitious nation-building project focused on key pillars such as:
-economic development focused on the natural gas sector, which transformed Qatar into the world’s largest exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG)
-liberalization of the media, which saw the launch of the flagship Al-Jazeera TV network in 1996
-education and scientific research, with the establishment of Education City and the attraction of leading international universities to Doha
-an active foreign policy, which saw Qatar become a key mediator in the resolution of regional and international conflicts, including those in Lebanon, Sudan, Afghanistan, and Palestine.
Domestically he also carried out key reforms including holding the 1999 Central Municipal Council elections – the first ever elections in the Gulf region held under universal suffrage, ratifying Qatar’s permanent constitution in 2004, and expanding women’s participation in education, employment, and public service.
He also strongly supported sports and his efforts culminated in Qatar’s hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup , the first such event in the MENA region.
Support for the people of Gaza and Lebanon
During Sheikh Hamad’s reign, Qatar played a pivotal role in humanitarian and peacemaking efforts following devastating wars in the early 2000s in Lebanon and Gaza.
Gaza endured a crippling Israeli siege beginning in 2007 and then a devasting Israeli war in late 2008 and early 2009, while Lebanon was hit hard by the 2006 war between Hezbollah and Israel.
During the 2008-9 Gaza war Sheikh Hamad had to deal with vacillation and indecision by Arab countries which meant that no quorum could be reached for an emergency Arab summit on the issue, which was due to be held in Doha.
He gave a famous speech criticising Arab indecision, arguing that it was shameful for governments in the region to try and sideline the issue. The speech contained a religious invocation, “God is sufficient for us, and He is the best disposer of affairs,” which came to symbolize the frustration and helplessness people across the Arab world were feeling amid the assault on Gaza.
Sheikh Hamad however, bypassed the Arab League’s formal requirements and convened a consultative summit of Arab and Muslim leaders which called for an immediate ceasefire and a halt to all normalisation with Israel, while pledging funds for Gaza’s reconstruction.
In October 2012, Sheikh Hamad became the only Arab leader to visit Gaza, overseeing the distribution of Qatari humanitarian aid, while opening channels of support for hospital and schools.
Prior to that, in 2006, he also became the first Arab leader to visit south Lebanon, coordinating reconstruction and humanitarian relief operations with Lebanese officials amid the devastation caused by Israel’s assault.
In 2011, as pro-democracy protests spread across Tunisia, Egypt, Syria, and Libya in what became known as the Arab Spring, Sheikh Hamad pursued a policy supportive of political change, while spearheading pressure through the Arab League on government which used violence against their citizens.
The Al-Jazeera network meanwhile provided unprecedented coverage of the protests in the region.
Perhaps one of his most remarkable decisions was to abdicate in 2013 and transfer power to his son, current Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, providing the country with a smooth succession that helped preserve the country’s stability during a difficult period.