Qatar's Father Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani dies at 74: How he shaped ties with India and US
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Qatar's Father Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani dies at 74: How he shaped ties with India and US")
Qatar’s Father Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani Photograph: (AFP)
Qatar's Father Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani has died at the age of 74, the Amiri Diwan announced. The former ruler, who led Qatar's transformation into a global economic and diplomatic power, passed away on Sunday, prompting tributes from across the country and the region.
Qatar’s Father Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani has died at the age of 74, the country’s Amiri Diwan said. “With hearts steadfast in faith in God’s decree and destiny, the Amiri Diwan mourns the great loss to the nation of the late – may God have mercy on him – His Highness the Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who passed away this morning,” the Amiri Diwan said in a statement on Sunday (July 11).
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his condolences and called him a “visionary leader who led Qatar to great levels of development and prosperity.” He said that India will remember him as a “true friend." Prime Minister Modi said that he met Al Thani during his last visit to Qatar in February 2024. “I convey my sincere condolences to the Amir of Qatar, HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and the entire royal family and people of Qatar. May the departed soul rest in eternal peace.”
How he shaped ties with India
Sheikh Hamad ruled Qatar from 1995 to 2013 and is known to be the architect of Qatar's development. He also oversaw the launch of the international broadcaster Al Jazeera in 1996. In 2013, he handed over power to his son, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who was then 33. During his rule, Qatar adopted its first permanent constitution in 2004 and introduced municipal elections, granting women the right to vote and contest as candidates for the first time.
Under him, India and Qatar ties changed into a deep strategic partnership built on energy security and trade. He visited India three times - in 1999, 2005, and 2012. These foundational visits locked in significant long-term agreements regarding trade, defense, and maritime safety. Also known as the architect of Qatar's liquefied natural gas (LNG) revolution, Sheikh Hamad orchestrated the logistics that turned Qatar into India's largest supplier of LNG. This pipeline of fuel became crucial to driving India’s rapid industrial and economic development. Under his regime, the Indian community in Qatar grew exponentially to hundreds of thousands of people.
How he shaped ties with the US
During his 18-year reign from 1995 to 2013, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani built a deep security and economic alliance with the United States. While America's Al Udeid Air Base in west of Doha came into existence after he took over power in 1995, Sheikh Hamad also funded the launch of the Al Jazeera Media Network. During the post-9/11 era, the Bush administration frequently clashed with Sheikh Hamad over Al Jazeera’s broadcasting of Al-Qaeda tapes and critical coverage of the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2002, as the US prepared for operations in Iraq, Sheikh Hamad officially invited the US military to move its forward headquarters for CENTCOM to Al Udeid. While hosting American troops, Sheikh Hamad rejected the idea of acting as a client state, establishing ties with Iran and other proxy groups like Hamas.
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