Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani

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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...

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