Image source, Getty Images
Sheikh Hamad during a two-day sojourn to Bulgaria arsenic portion of a European circuit successful 2009
Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the erstwhile person of Qatar, has died aged 74, the country's authorities announced connected Sunday.
"The Bureau of the Emir mourns the large nonaccomplishment to the federation of the late, whitethorn God person mercy connected him," a connection read.
Sheikh Hamad was 1 of the cardinal masterminds down modern Qatar and had taken powerfulness from his begetter successful June 1995 successful a bloodless coup.
He is credited with transforming its system into the affluent planetary powerhouse it is today, acknowledgment to its immense earthy state reserves. Sheikh Hamad voluntarily abdicated for his lad successful 2013.
Funeral prayers volition beryllium held connected Sunday evening earlier respective days of nationalist mourning crossed the state to people his death.
Flags volition beryllium flown astatine fractional mast, portion authorities officers and nationalist institutions volition beryllium unopen arsenic a people of respect.
When Sheikh Hamad took powerfulness 31 years agone Qatar was struggling for wealth with its lipid reserves dwindling.
His coup - carried retired portion his begetter Sheikh Khalifa was overseas - changed the state forever.
It became a starring shaper and exporter of liquefied earthy gas, acknowledgment to planetary partnerships and investments that had been brokered.
In 1996 Al Jazeera was launched determination earlier becoming a large sanction successful planetary broadcasting.
And Sheikh Hamad founded the Qatar Investment Authority which enactment wealth into businesses abroad, including Harrods and shot squad Paris Saint-Germain.
Image source, Reuters
Qatar's Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al Thani and his woman Sheikha Moza Bint Nasser al-Misnad clasp a transcript of the World Cup trophy aft Qatar won the close to big the 2022 tourney backmost successful 2010
It would beryllium shot wherever helium secured 1 of Qatar's biggest - and arguable - triumphs.
The state was awarded the close to big the 2022 World Cup successful 2010, contempt allegations of corruption it was aboriginal cleared of.
It hired 30,000 overseas labourers conscionable to physique the stadiums. In 2021 it was reported immoderate 6,500 migrant workers from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka had died since it won the World Cup bid.
The Qatar authorities said not each the deaths recorded were of radical moving connected World Cup-related projects and galore had lived determination a agelong time.
There was besides disapproval implicit Qatar's quality rights grounds and laws against same-sex relationships.
Qatar was a British protectorate until 1971, with the Al Thani household arsenic monarchs since 1851.
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