Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa, Ruler Who Transformed Qatar, Dies at 74

Source: The New York Times

Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa, Ruler Who Transformed Qatar, Dies at 74

Under Sheikh Hamad, the tiny nation of Qatar developed immense natural gas wealth and cultivated influence far beyond its borders.


Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani is often described as the founding father of modern Qatar. Eric Feferberg/Agence France-Presse -- Getty Images

By Vivian Nereim
Reporting from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

July 12, 2026, 2:11 p.m. ET
Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the former monarch who oversaw Qatar's transformation from a little-known desert peninsula in the Persian Gulf into a country with vast wealth and global influence, died on Sunday. He was 74. ... His death was announced by the Qatari royal court, which did not specify the cause. The court declared a public mourning period of four days.

Sheikh Hamad is often described as the founding father of modern Qatar. ... When he overthrew his father in a bloodless coup in 1995, Qatar was rich in natural gas but largely subordinate to neighboring Saudi Arabia. Sheikh Hamad helped turn the tiny country into a more independently minded state with political and financial influence far greater than its size, before handing over power to his son, the current emir, in 2013.

During his reign, the nation's gross domestic product swelled 24-fold, buoyed by enormous investments to develop its natural gas-exporting industry. Qatar created Al Jazeera news network and established a sovereign wealth fund that now oversees roughly $600 billion in assets. It also won the rights to host the 2022 men's soccer World Cup, in a bid that was marred by allegations of bribery.


Qatar won the rights to host the 2022 men’s soccer World Cup in a bid that was marred by allegations of bribery. Karim Jaafar/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

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He is survived by the current emir, a number of other children, and one of his wives, Sheikha Moza bint Nasser.

Vivian Nereim is the lead reporter for The Times covering the countries of the Arabian Peninsula. She is based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
https://www.nytimes.com/by/vivian-nereim

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/12/world/middleeast/sheikh-hamad-bin-khalifa-qatar-dead.html