Ḥamad ibn Khalīfah Āl Thānī, Amir of Qatar, 1952-

Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani (Arabic: حمد بن خليفة آل ثاني; 1 January 1952 – 12 July 2026) was Emir of Qatar from 1995 until his abdication in 2013. He was also prime minister of Qatar from 1995 to 1996. Hamad received his education in Qatar before attending the United Kingdom's Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. After graduating in 1971, he held several senior posts in the Qatar Armed Forces, including as chief of staff and minister of defense. Hamad seized power from his father, Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani, in a bloodless palace coup d'état in 1995. During his 18-year rule, he promoted the development of Qatar's natural gas, in particular liquefied natural gas (LNG), which reached 77 million tonnes in annual production. This made Qatar the richest country in the world per capita with the average income in the country being US$86,440 a year per person. As emir of Qatar, Hamad ruled the country as an absolute monarch, with supreme authority over all branches of state power, and no political parties were allowed. During his reign, several sports and diplomatic events took place in Qatar, including the 2006 Asian Games, 2011 AFC Asian Cup, 2012 UN Climate Change Conference, Doha Agreement, Fatah–Hamas Doha Agreement, and the decision to hold the 2022 FIFA World Cup in the country. He established the Qatar Investment Authority. By 2013, it had invested over $100 billion around the world, including The Shard, Barclays Bank, Heathrow Airport, Harrods, Paris Saint-Germain F.C., Volkswagen, Siemens, and Royal Dutch Shell. Hamad's investment strategy is credited with Qatar becoming the first Arab and Muslim country to host the FIFA World Cup. Qatar began hosting two U.S. military bases while also maintaining relations with Iran. Hamad sought closer ties with both Iran and Israel compared to his father's approach. Hamad founded news media group Al Jazeera in 1996, which became known as the first news channel in the Arab world to provide critical coverage of Arab governments, though it has avoided criticizing Qatar's own government. He also played a part in negotiations between the U.S. and the Taliban. In June 2013, Hamad, in a brief televised address, announced that he would hand power to his fourth son, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who was born to his second wife, Moza bint Nasser. Following his abdication, he became known as the Father Emir in Qatari terminology. He is credited with setting the foundation of the modern Qatari state, including the adoption of its first permanent constitution and holding elections for the advisory Central Municipal Council; for presiding over a massive expansion in state revenue and national wealth due to LNG exports; and for his sweeping economic, cultural, and social reforms; which contributed to Qatar's rise on the international stage.