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 municipal elections; 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.
Early life, education, and career
Hamad was born in Doha, Qatar on 1 January 1952. His mother died soon after his birth and he was raised by his uncle. He received his early education in Qatar.
He graduated from the British Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst in 1971, and was then commissioned as a lieutenant colonel in Qatar's armed forces. A few months later he returned to Qatar and was made commander of a mobile brigade, which later became a force called "Hamad Brigade". In 1972, Hamad had the rank of general, and became army chief of staff. Next he was appointed commander-in-chief of Qatar's armed forces with the rank of major general. In 1977 he was named minister of defense. He was eventually promoted to the ranks of lieutenant general and full general. His tenure as minister of defense coincided with the Gulf War, and Hamad met United States defense secretary Dick Cheney in 1991, during discussions about the postwar security architecture for the Arab states of the Persian Gulf. Hamad also promoted Qatar's participation in international sports, founded the Qatar Open tennis tournament, and led the Supreme Council for Youth Welfare from 1979 to 1991.
Hamad was appointed Heir Apparent of Qatar in 1977. In the early 1980s, he led the Supreme Planning Council, which sets Qatar's basic economic and social policies. Starting in 1992, Hamad's father began gradually handing over responsibility for the day-to-day running of the country, including the development of Qatar's oil and natural gas resources, rendering him the effective ruler of the country. However, his father ultimately retained control over state finances. Hamad came to be regarded as the de facto leader of the country, while his father's role as emir was considered a formality. He began to change Qatar's foreign policy from other Gulf Arab states by increasing contact and trade with Israel, calling for the lifting of international sanctions against Iraq, and improving relations with Iran. Qatar became the first Gulf monarchy to re-establish relations with Iraq after the Gulf War. Hamad met Iranian foreign minister Ali Akbar Velayati in 1994, who described Iran's relations with Qatar as "fraternal and good." Hamad also maintained cooperation with the United States, which included the building of a military base in Qatar, despite its criticisms of Qatar's increasing ties with Iraq and Iran.
Reign (1995–2013)
With the support of his family, Hamad staged a bloodless coup d'état in 1995 when his father Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani was on vacation in Geneva, Switzerland, at which point he officially became the Emir of Qatar. The deposition came after a falling out between Hamad and his father, who had tried regaining some of the authority that he gave to Hamad starting in 1992. Thereafter, his father lived in exile in France and Abu Dhabi until he returned to Qatar in 2004. On 11 July 1995, Hamad announced his first cabinet, which included himself concurrently serving as prime minister, minister of defense, and commander-in-chief of the armed forces. He remained as prime minister until 29 October 1996, when he named his brother Abdullah bin Khalifa Al Thani to the post and asked him to form a government.
Hamad then engaged an American law firm to freeze his father's bank accounts abroad in order to deter a possible countercoup. However, a counter-coup was attempted against Hamad in February 1996 under the leadership of former Economy Minister Hamad bin Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani. The coup failed, and several of Qatar's traditional Arab allies were implicated in the plot, namely Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt.
In a break with traditional role, his second wife Sheikha Moza bint Nasser Al-Missned became a visible advocate for education and children's causes. In 1995, the couple founded the Qatar Foundation.
The Qatari government helped to fund the Al Jazeera news network, founded in 1996, by emiri decree. It became known as the first "Western-style" news channel in the Arab world, because it provided critical coverage of other Arab governments. However, it has avoided criticizing the government of Qatar, except for some rare instances on its English-language services. By 2001 Qatar had received diplomatic complaints over Al Jazeera from every other Arab government except Lebanon. By 2005, journalist Hugh Miles assessed that diplomats from other countries knew that the Emir was the real power behind Al Jazeera but he also quoted a network spokesman denying this accusation "countless times", adding that many independent news sources also earned subsidies from their respective governments without this implying editorial interference and explaining that trying to coerce the kind of journalists Al Jazeera had would be like trying to "herd cats".
Sheikh Hamad was a distant cousin of the network's chairman, Hamad bin Thamer Al Thani, who was previously Minister of Information in the government. Following the initial US$137 million grant from Sheikh Hamad, Al Jazeera had aimed to become self-sufficient through advertising by 2001, but when this failed to occur, he agreed to several consecutive loans on a year-by-year basis (US$30 million in 2004, according to Arnaud de Borchgrave). At a 3 October 2001 press conference, Colin Powell tried to persuade Sheikh Hamad to shut down Al Jazeera while the New York-based organization Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting commented that in those efforts, "Powell and other U.S. officials were reportedly upset by the channel re-airing old interviews with bin Laden and the inclusion of guests that are too critical of the United States on its programs." The Washington Post reported in 2005 that Sheikh Hamad was under pressure to privatize the network.
Autocracy and political reform
During Hamad's reign, the country enacted its first permanent constitution and held municipal elections for the first time, in which women were also allowed to vote and stand as candidates. This made Qatar the first Gulf country to allow women to vote. The constitution of Qatar was promulgated on 8 June 2004, following the 2003 Qatari constitutional referendum. The constitution stipulated that Qatar was a democracy, but in practice Hamad ruled an autocratic regime in Qatar with no organized political opposition. Mehran Kamrava of Georgetown University in Qatar has suggested that Qatar's highly publicized campaign of political liberalization was meant to help stabilize the regime under Hamad, especially through support from the West, and that once sufficient stabilization was achieved, the issue of domestic liberalization was largely dropped. Although the ministry of information was abolished in 1998, with the press occasionally allowed to criticize the economy or the status of foreign workers, journalists continue to face a "draconian system of censorship".
Oil and gas wealth
Hamad was able to focus on turning Qatar from a small desert backwater into a major world power by continuing to exploit the country's vast oil fields and discovering and tapping the world's third largest gas reserves. By 2010 liquefied natural gas (LNG) production had reached 77 million tons, making Qatar the richest country in the world. With fewer than two million inhabitants, the average income in the country shot to $86,440 per year per person. Qatar expert Olivier Da Lage said: "When he came to power in 1995, Sheikh Hamad had a goal to place Qatar on the world map by exploiting the gas resources which his father did not develop for fear it would change the emirate's society. Eighteen years on, he has finished the job – Qatar has acquired the financial clout to command respect from neighboring countries and Western governments alike".
Since he had been the crown prince, Hamad promoted the development of natural gas, and in particular the North Field, the largest gas field in the world, as an alternative to Qatar's dependence on crude oil exports. State revenue began growing massively when the North Field started exporting LNG in 1996; its value added increased from US$3 billion to $110 billion over the course of his reign. By 2006 Qatar had become the world's largest LNG exporter. During Hamad's reign, Qatar's GDP increased by 24 times, and per capita GDP increased by nearly six times. Hamad also adopted the Qatar National Vision 2030 plan, aiming to transform Qatar into a knowledge-based economy.
In 2005, under the direction of Hamad and Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, the Qatar Investment Authority was established, a sovereign wealth fund to manage the country's oil and natural gas surpluses. The Qatar Investment Authority and its subsidiaries have acquired many businesses abroad, including London's iconic department store Harrods from entrepreneur Mohamed Al-Fayed, Paris-based department store Printemps, French football club Paris Saint-Germain F.C., a former 10% stake in Porsche, a 75% stake in film studio Miramax Films which they acquired from Disney, a 2% stake in media conglomerate and Universal Music Group parent company Vivendi, a US$100 million investment in Chernin Group – whose founder Peter Chernin was COO of News Corp and President of Fox, a 1% stake in luxury goods manufacturer Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy, a 6% stake in Credit Suisse, a 12.6% stake in Barclays and several other major companies. They also backed Glencore's $31 billion takeover bid for Xstrata. Qatar became the largest property owner in London with their holdings including the United Kingdom's tallest building The Shard, the London Olympic Village and the InterContinental London Park Lane hotel. They also own several hotels in Cannes including the Majestic Hotel, Grand Hyatt Cannes Hôtel Martinez and the Carlton Hotel, Cannes. QIA was considered to have one of the leading bids in the sales of both Anschutz Entertainment Group and Hulu. As of May 2013, it was reported the Investment Authority was in talks to purchase Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman.
Media sources claimed that Hamad made a bid for Manchester United on 11 February 2011. Qatari Holdings offered £1.65 billion to Malcolm Glazer, the American owner of the club. This follows a series of endeavors by the Emir and other Qataris into the global football community, following Qatar's successful bid for the 2022 World Cup, and the Qatar Foundation's recent £125m shirt deal with FC Barcelona. In mid-June 2011, rumours resurfaced that Qatari Holdings were preparing a £2 Billion takeover bid and that the funding, that the club had been using for transfers since the start of June, was actually supplied by the Qataris and not the Glazer Family. In 2012 it was rumoured that Hamad was in bid for Rangers F.C. On 30 March 2012 Hamad offered to buy KF Tirana, although the details have yet to be published.
Foreign relations
The foreign policy of Qatar was primarily determined by a circle of four; Hamad, his wife Moza bint Nasser, crown prince Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and prime minister and foreign minister Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani. Despite this, the Norwegian Centre for Conflict Resolution claimed that Hamad was fully in charge of every foreign policy decision.
Due to Qatar's historically tenuous relationship with regional powers such as Iran and Saudi Arabia, Hamad sought to court the United States as a counterweight to any potential threats. In the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, United States Central Command established their regional headquarters in Doha's Al Udeid Air Base.
The Emir made a $100 million donation for the relief of New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina in 2005. He was a key person in the ceasefire during the 2006 Lebanon War and contributed significantly in the relief of damaged areas.
As emir, Hamad oversaw a tightening of ties with Iran, as opposed to other Arab Gulf neighbours. In 2010, Qatar and Iran signed a defense cooperation agreement and an internal security pact, and Hamad traveled to Tehran to meet with both the President of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and its supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, exchanging pledges of cooperation and friendship. In late 2012, Hamad paid $57 million in ransom to free 57 IRGC fighters captured by an armed opposition group in southern Damascus, and Ahmadinejad later told that the Emir refused to accept reimbursement from the Iranian government, stating that he paid the ransom "for the sake of the friendship between the two peoples".
In 2012, the Emir proposed deploying Arab troops to reduce killings in the Syrian civil war. He provided two military bases for foreign troops, Al Udeid Air Base and Camp As Sayliyah.
Despite the prevalence of anti-Israel sentiment within the Arab world, he had previously maintained friendly relations with Israel. He met Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni on 25 September 2007 in New York City. This marked the first real attempt by any leader in the Persian Gulf to pursue dialogue with Israel. However, Qatar severed diplomatic ties with Israel in 2009 in response to Israel's actions during the Gaza war. The emir also expressed his objection to Israeli settlement policy, especially the Judaization of Jerusalem.
Palestine and Syria
In October 2012, the Emir made a landmark visit to Gaza by being the first head of state to go there since the 2006 election of Hamas and the imposition of a blockade by Israel. He took a flight to Egypt before being driven into Gaza. While there, the Emir was thought to be launching a $254 million reconstruction project in the territory, and giving an address to the Palestinian people. Palestine's interior ministry was said to have a "well-prepared plan" to provide security for the emir during his stay. Incidents nevertheless continued.
In October 2012, Hamad visited Gaza and pledged US$400 million in humanitarian aid to Hamas, to build infrastructure projects and hospitals. Despite Qatar's ties to Hamas, they maintain diplomatic and business relations with Israel.
In December 2012, The New York Times accused the Qatari government of funding the Al-Nusra Front, a U.S. government designated terrorist organization. Others have noted the Emir's visit to Gaza and meeting with Hamas, which houses a militant wing, Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades. However, Qatar denies these allegations, stating that its policy was to help facilitate constructive engagement between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority.
In 2004, 2010, 2014, and 2017, the Qatari government introduced new anti-terror laws to combat terrorism, terrorism financing and related crimes. In 2019 the Qatari government introduced a new anti-money laundering and counter terror financing laws.
In August 2020, the US State Department sent the Coordinator for Counterterrorism Nathan Sales to Doha to thank Qatar for their efforts against terrorism and to discuss Qatar's role in combating the financing of terrorism, its new Anti-Money Laundering/Countering the Financing of Terrorism legislation and its participation in the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS.
Culture and education
In one of his first acts as emir in 1995, Hamad established the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development. In the arts, Hamad established the Qatar Museums Authority in 2005 which built the I. M. Pei designed Museum of Islamic Art Doha. Since its opening, Qatar has become the world's biggest contemporary art buyer, famously purchasing Cézanne's The Card Players in 2012 for over US$250 million. The art acquisition efforts were often represented by Sheikh Saud bin Mohammed Al Thani, president of Qatar's National Council for Culture, Arts and the Heritage.
Throughout his reign, Hamad played an active role in promoting sports and athletics in Qatar and significantly increasing its prominence on the international stage. Doha became a foremost sporting capital in the world, hosting several major international tournaments. He oversaw the development of advanced sporting infrastructure, as well the creation of a women's tennis league in 2003 and the National Sports Day in 2011. The "defining sporting achievement" of his reign was considered to have occurred in December 2010, when Qatar was awarded the right to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The Museum Authority sponsored Takashi Murakami's EGO exhibit in Doha which ran from 9 February to 24 June 2012, Damien Hirst's retrospective at Tate Modern in Spring and Summer 2012 and Hirst's exhibition Relics, from October 2013 to January 2014. In July 2013, in conjunction with Miuccia Prada and the Prada Foundation, QMA launched CURATE, a global search for curatorial talent. Additionally, the Doha Film Institute was established in 2009 which in partnership with the Tribeca Film Festival (founded by Robert De Niro), created the Doha Tribeca Film Festival that ran from 2009 – 2012. The Doha Film Institute produced Salma Hayek's upcoming animated adaptation of Khalil Gibran's classic novel The Prophet, with Lion King director Roger Allers coordinating the process. DFI was also credited as a production company on several other films, including Just Like a Woman starring Sienna Miller, The Reluctant Fundamentalist, directed by Mira Nair, which opened the 69th Venice International Film Festival, and Kanye West's Cruel Summer – a short film which was shot in Doha and premiered during the 2012 Cannes Film Festival. In February 2013, they announced a $100 million feature film fund with Participant Media, a production company founded by billionaire Jeffrey Skoll, who was the first employee and also first president of internet auction firm eBay.
Under the patronage of Hamad and his wife Sheikha Moza Bint Nasser Al-Missned, various academic institutions have opened campuses in Doha, including Carnegie Mellon University, Georgetown University, Northwestern University, Texas A&M University and Weill Cornell Medical College.
Abdication
On 25 June 2013, Hamad handed over power to his son Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in a televised speech. In regards to the shift in power, Hamad said: "The time has come to open a new page in the journey of our nation that would have a new generation carry the responsibilities".
Health and death
Hamad was believed to have suffered from poor health for several years. Hamad underwent his first kidney transplant in 1997 and at least one more at a later date. He later went on dialysis.
In December 2015, he was flown to Zurich, Switzerland, for treatment after breaking his leg while on holiday in Morocco's Atlas Mountains.
Hamad died in Doha on 12 July 2026, at the age of 74. The Qatari government declared four days of national mourning with flags at half mast. The Indian government announced a day of national mourning. The Maldivian government announced flags to fly at half-mast for a day.
Legacy
Often called the "founding father of modern Qatar", Hamad is regarded as having laid the foundation of the modern Qatari state, and began efforts to increase Qatar's soft power, with major investments in education, scientific research, sports, and media. In their obituary of Hamad, The New York Times stated that under his reign, Hamad oversaw Qatar's transformation from a "little-known desert peninsula in the Persian Gulf" into a country with "vast wealth and global influence".
Following his abdication, he became known as the Father Emir in Qatari terminology. He is credited for his efforts in the adoption of Qatar's first permanent constitution and holding municipal elections. He was also noted for presiding over a massive expansion in state revenue and national wealth from LNG exports, and for strengthening ties between Qatar and the Western world. Aside from politics and economic expansion, Hamad was also credited for making Qatar into a "global sporting hub" by increasing the country's involvement and performance in a number of international competitions. He was also noted for founding Al Jazeera, which The Los Angeles Times described as a "major force in global media" and a "powerful voice in Arab media".
Funeral
Hamad's funeral was held on the same day of his death, after evening prayers, at the Imam Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab Mosque in Doha. Heads of state such as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, President of Syria Ahmed al-Sharaa and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy came to pay their respects. Foreign minister of Iran, Abbas Araghchi, also came to pay his respects, even amidst harsh criticism from the GCC on Iran's ongoing attacks on neighbouring countries. Among other dignitaries present was also FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who notably left the United States just a day before the semi finals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup to attend the event. Hamad was said to have been "buried in a simple grave" at the Lusail Cemetery north of Doha.
Investments
In 2013, Hamad established the Qatar Investment Authority, which has invested over $100 billion around the world, including The Shard, Barclays, Heathrow Airport, Harrods, Paris Saint-Germain F.C., Siemens and Royal Dutch Shell. It also holds about 17% stake in the Volkswagen Group, Porsche, Hochtief, as well as investments in Sainsbury's.
Hamad was listed as owner of Afrodille S.A., which had a bank account in Luxembourg and shares in two South African companies. He also held a majority of the shares in Rienne S.A. and Yalis S.A., which held a term deposit with the Bank of China in Luxembourg. A relative owned 25% of these: Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim Al Thani, Qatar's former prime minister and foreign minister.
Marriages and children
Sheikh Hamad had three wives and 24 children, 11 sons and 13 daughters.
Hamad's first wife was his first cousin, Sheikha Mariam bint Muhammad Al Thani, the daughter of his paternal uncle, Sheikh Muhammad bin Hamad bin Abdullah Al Thani. They had two sons and six daughters:
Sheikh Mishaal bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani (born 1972) – heir apparent of Qatar (1995–1996)
Sheikh Fahad bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani
Sheikha Aisha bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani
Sheikha Fatima bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani