Qatar's former emir, who revolutionised Qatar to make it a regional powerhouse, has died at the age of 74, the nation's Amiri Diwan, its top government body, said on Sunday.
Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani ruled Qatar from 1995 to 2013, before abdicating to his son Sheikh Tamim , the current leader of the gas-rich Gulf country.
"The Amiri Diwan announced the death of HH the Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani on Sunday morning. May Allah have mercy on his soul and grant him the best reward for what he achieved for his homeland and nation," the Diwan said.
Sheikh Hamad took power in June 1995, overthrowing his father in a bloodless coup while the latter was abroad.
He inherited a small, largely marginal emirate with nearly empty coffers and transformed it into a major player on the regional and international stage.
Within a few years, he laid the foundations for Qatar's rapid development. Although the country is only about one-third the size of Belgium, it possesses one of the world's largest natural gas reserves.
Thanks to investments and international partnerships, the emirate became a leading producer and exporter of liquefied natural gas.
It also rose to become one of the wealthiest countries on the planet in terms of GDP per capita. Qatar's population under Sheikh Hamad's rule numbered barely two million, the majority of them foreign nationals.
During his time in office, Al Jazeera was launched in 1996, following a decree issued by the emir, with the international broadcaster becoming one of the most influential media outlets in the region.
The Qatar Investment Authority was established with the aim of investing billions of dollars, particularly abroad, in companies including German automaker Volkswagen, London's luxury department store Harrods, and French football club Paris Saint-Germain.
Sheikh Hamad was still emir when Qatar was awarded the right to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup in 2010, amid allegations of corruption and, later, criticism over the treatment of foreign workers.
Also under his reign, Qatar began paying hundreds of millions of dollars to the Gaza Strip, notably funding road projects along the coast. A hospital in Gaza City bears his name.
In June 2013, Sheikh Hamad surprised many by voluntarily abdicating in favour of his son, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, a first in the recent history of the Arab world.
Arab and world leaders have expressed their condolences at his passing.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and UAE leader Mohammed bin Zayed both issued statements on social media following his death, while Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun wrote on X that he was a "true friend of Lebanon" and recalled his diplomatic efforts to end the 2006 war with Israel.