Former Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani dies

Former Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani has died at the age of 74, local media reported.

Sheikh Hamad abdicated in June 2013 after 18 years as emir, handing over the reins to his son Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani. During his reign, the country became an international crossroads and partner in several areas, such as sports, diplomacy, and energy.

Qatar's rise under Sheikh Hamad has, however, also sparked outrage in the international community due to Doha's independent policies, close ties with Iran, the Palestinian militant group Hamas, and the banned Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood.

Sheikh Hamad took power after overthrowing his father, Sheikh Khalifa, in a 1995 coup.

He attended the British military academy Sandhurst and became commander of the Qatari armed forces and minister of defense, and was appointed crown prince in the late 1970s and gradually expanded his duties to include planning for the vast oil and gas reserves.

After taking power from his father, who then lived in exile for almost ten years, Sheikh Hamad quickly moved to open the country to external influences, and the most important step in this is considered to have been the opening of the Al Jazeera media network.

Qatar has over the years been a mediator in negotiations to end the conflict in Sudan's Darfur region, Lebanese factional conflicts, and the split between the Palestinian factions of Hamas and Fatah.

In October 2012, Sheikh Hamad became the first head of state to visit the Gaza Strip since Hamas took control of the territory and pledged $400 million for projects and investments. During the Arab Spring, Qatar sent warplanes to NATO-led missions in Libya against Muammar Gaddafi's forces and provided military and financial assistance to Libyan rebels.

In Syria, Qatar was the main political sponsor of the opposition to then-President Bashar al-Assad and led calls for increased arms flows to Syrian rebels.

In one of the last initiatives before Sheikh Hamad abdicated, Qatar officially opened an office for the Afghan Taliban, paving the way for negotiations between the United States (US) and the Taliban that ultimately led to the chaotic withdrawal of NATO and US troops from Afghanistan in 2021.