Former Qatari emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who ruled Qatar from 1995 to 2013, died aged 74. He is credited with modernising the country, and supporting Palestine; his leadership left a lasting imprint on Qatar's regional posture.
Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani has died at 74, Qatar's Amiri Diwan has announced. He has been credited with transforming Qatar into an energy and diplomatic power by expanding LNG production, founding Al Jazeera, building sovereign investment vehicles and stepping down voluntarily in 2013 to hand power to his son.