Ruler Who Modernized Qatar, Then Turned Over Power, Dies

A leader who pulled Qatar onto the global stage—and then voluntarily turned over power—has died. Former emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani died Sunday at 74, Qatar's Amiri Diwan announced without giving a cause, Reuters reports. He took power in a peaceful 1995 coup and abdicated in 2013 in favor of his 33-year-old son. By the time Sheikh Tamim took over, his father had refashioned the small Gulf state into an energy and media heavyweight, underpinned by massive liquefied natural gas projects that turned Qatar into one of the world's top LNG exporters. He pushed Qatar as an international mediator, a role it's playing now in conflicts involving the US, Iran, Israel, and Gaza.

Sheikh Hamad founded the Al Jazeera network, hosted the US military's Central Command, and secured the 2022 FIFA World Cup, a move that greatly boosted Doha's buildout and visibility. His foreign policy cast Qatar as a go-between in conflicts from Lebanon to Darfur. That activism, especially support for Arab Spring movements and Islamist groups, frequently put him at odds with Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Known as more approachable than many peers—he was said to frequent a café in Doha's old market—he also relied on influential wife, Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, who drove education and social initiatives alongside his economic and political overhaul.

The World Cup bidding process sparked allegations of corruption, per Deutsche Welle, and Amnesty International said migrant workers building the event's infrastructure were mistreated. The opening match crowd loudly cheered Sheikh Hamad, long after he'd left power, at the opening match in 2022. Qatar's rise rankled regional and Western allies with policies that included maintaining close ties to Shiite powerhouse Iran, the Palestinian militant Hamas group, and Egypt's outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, per the AP. Al Jazeera was praised for blunt reporting that was a departure from the deferential habits of Arab media and accused of slanting coverage to suit the views of Qatar's rulers.

The peaceful transition of power was rare in a region where such change usually results from death or overthrow. "The future lies ahead of you, the children of this homeland, as you usher into a new era where young leadership hoists the banner," Sheikh Hamad said in announcing his abdication in favor of his son, the British-educated crown prince Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. He remains Qatar's emir.