Key moments from former Qatar Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani’s life
Sheikh Hamad’s 18-year rule catapulted Qatar to prosperity and reshaped the Gulf country’s domestic, regional and global footprint. The architect of modern Qatar, former Emir
Sheikh Hamad’s 18-year rule catapulted Qatar to prosperity and reshaped the Gulf country’s domestic, regional and global footprint. The architect of modern Qatar, former Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, has died at the age of 74. Fondly known as Father Emir, Sheikh Hamad, who ruled Qatar from 1995 to 2013, leaves behind a legacy that includes sweeping economic, social and cultural reforms in Qatar, raising the Gulf country’s profile on the regional and global stage. During his 18-year rule, Qatar’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew more than 24-fold as the small nation of nearly 2.5 million people became one of the world’s largest exporters of liquefied natural gas (LNG). Sheikh Hamad’s tenure also saw the adoption of Qatar’s permanent constitution and the launch of the Qatar Vision 2030, a long-term strategy aimed at transforming the country into a knowledge-based economy and achieving sustainable development. Here is a look at some key moments in the former Qatari emir’s life Path to leadership Born in January 1952 in Doha, Sheikh Hamad was raised and received his early education in the city. In 1971, he graduated from the British Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, United Kingdom, and joined the Qatar armed forces, where he reached the rank of major-general. He was credited with playing a pivotal role in developing the armed forces in terms of ordnance, according to a statement by the Amiri Diwan.
On May 31, 1977, Sheikh Hamad was appointed the heir apparent and minister of defence. On May 10, 1989, he was appointed the chairman of the Supreme Council for Planning, where he was tasked with developing Qatar’s social and economic policies. After a successful career in the military and senior government positions, Sheikh Hamad assumed leadership of Qatar on June 27, 1995. He remained the ruler of Qatar until June 25, 2013, when he transferred power to his son, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. Economic transformation Under Sheikh Hamad’s leadership, Qatar saw rapid economic growth driven by the expansion of its energy sector. He viewed the country’s untapped North Field, which is the largest nonassociated natural gasfield in the world, as the cornerstone of Qatar’s future economic dominance, and invested heavily in the LNG sector. In 1996, the country began exporting LNG, with the first shipment sent to Japan. According to the Amiri Diwan, in 2006, Qatar became the largest LNG exporter in the world, and in 2010, its LNG production capacity reached 77 million tonnes per annum. Qatar’s LNG exports currently represent 20 percent of the global market, it said. Besides the energy sector, Sheikh Hamad also formulated comprehensive reconstruction plans which helped Qatar’s development in the education, healthcare, sports, culture and media sectors. In October 2001, he established the Supreme Council for Economic Affairs and Investment to oversee the economy, energy and investment affairs and diversify local and foreign investments and sources of income.
The BriefWire