Qatar’s former ruler Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani has died at age 74, state news agency says
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who as ruler of Qatar transformed the tiny Persian Gulf nation into a global player in diplomacy, media and investment, and then He broke tradition by voluntarily transferring power to his sonHe died, state media reported. He was 74 years old.
The state-run Qatar News Agency reported his death. He gave no reason.
Sheikh Hamad, who resigned in June 2013 after 18 years as emir, was the architect of energy-rich Qatar’s stunning ambitions that transformed it from a backwater to an international crossroads in less than a generation. Qatar owns Harrod’s department store in London and founded the powerful Al Jazeera satellite news network.
Qatar’s current political reach extends from North Africa to Afghanistan, home to Qatar. 2022 FIFA World CupThe most watched football event in the world. Although Sheikh Hamad has not been in power for long, he received great applause from the Qataris who attended the opening match.
But Qatar’s rise under Sheikh Hamad has also irritated regional and Western allies with its independent policy-making approach. Shiite powerhouse Iran ties with Palestinian militant group Hamas and Egypt’s outlawed Muslim Brotherhood.
While Al Jazeera’s outspoken reporting was a much-lauded departure from the traditionally deferential habits of Arab media, it was also criticized and accused of tailoring the coverage to the views of Qatar’s rulers.
“Children of this homeland, the future lies ahead of you, as we enter a new era in which young leadership raises the flag,” Sheikh Hamad said in announcing his abdication and transition to his son, the British-educated crown prince. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thanihe was 33 years old at the time.
Sheikh Hamad handed over power to his son
Peaceful and voluntary transfer of power was rare in a region where such change usually resulted from death or overthrow. Sheikh Hamad seized control after dethroning his father, Sheikh Khalifa, in a bloodless palace coup in 1995.
His abdication was seen as Qatar’s attempt to stay one step ahead. Calls for reform inspired by the Arab Spring and that the leadership is better suited to the region’s large and powerful young population. Qatar, a peninsula half the size of New Jersey, is believed to have about 300,000 citizens.
At that time, Sheikh Hamad was also thought to have been in poor health for years. In December 2015, Qatari officials said: flew to Switzerland for surgery after breaking his leg while on holiday.
Sheikh Hamad attended Britain’s military academy Sandhurst and became commander of Qatar’s armed forces and minister of defence. He was elected crown prince in the late 1970s and gradually expanded his duties to include planning for Qatar’s vast oil and gas reserves.
Sheikh Hamad created Al Jazeera, the powerful voice of Arab media
After seizing power from his father, who lived in exile for nearly a decade, Sheikh Hamad quickly moved to open an inward-looking nation to outside influences, exemplified by Al Jazeera, which became a major force in global media.
His reports not only angered other Arab leaders, sometimes to the point of diplomatic rupture, but also Washington. While Qatar hosted one of the Pentagon’s important logistics centers after the September 11, 2001 attacks and the US-led invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, Al Jazeera published statements from the terrorist network Al Qaeda.
Meanwhile, Sheikh Hamad was aggressively seeking international prestige through sports. Qatar’s bid to host the World Cup was successfulAlthough he has been overshadowed by accusations that he used his huge fortune to win the support of poor countries.
The Qatar brand also stands out in the sports world, from sponsorship agreements with Spanish football giant Barcelona to majority shares of Paris Saint-Germain football club.
Sheikh Hamad also pushed Qatar Airways will transform into a major international carrierIt is trying to rival neighboring airline Emirates. The country’s international airport, which cost at least 15 billion dollars to build in Doha, the capital of Qatar, also bears his name.
Qatar has become a center of diplomacy
Sheikh Hamad had far-reaching visions for Qatar’s role as a diplomatic intermediary. Over the years, he has mediated conflict in Sudan’s western Darfur region, factional fighting in Lebanon, and friction between the Palestinians’ Hamas and Fatah factions.
In October 2012, Sheikh Hamad became the first head of state to visit the Gaza Strip since Hamas took control five years ago, pledging a total of $400 million in projects and investments. During the visit, Gaza radio stations played the song “Thank You Qatar”.
Qatar also reached out to Israel, Hamas’ arch-enemy. In 2007, Sheikh Hamad met with Israel’s then foreign minister, Tzipi Livni, at the United Nations General Assembly. Qatar allowed an Israeli trade office to operate in Doha until it was ordered to close in response to Israeli attacks on Gaza in late 2008.
Neighboring Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates recognized Israel diplomatically in 2020, while Qatar kept its distance. At the World Cup, Israelis also faced numerous Palestinian flags and anger over the Palestinians’ occupation of land claimed for their future state.
During the Arab Spring, Qatar sent warplanes to NATO-led missions in Libya against Muammar Gaddafi’s forces and provided significant military and financial aid to successful Libyan rebels. Qatar was the main political sponsor of the opposition against then-President Bashar al-Assad in Syria and led calls to increase the flow of arms to Syrian rebels.
However, its support of Islamists such as the Muslim Brotherhood has caused friction with other countries in the region. These tensions culminated under Sheikh Tamim when Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE initiated an agreement. Year-long boycott of Qatarpartly due to his father’s continued policies during his reign.
In one of the last attempts before Sheikh Hamad’s abdication, Qatar officially opens an office for the Afghan TalibanThis set the stage for talks between the US and the Taliban that ultimately led to a chaotic NATO and American withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
