Who was Emir Hamad: The architect of modern Qatar

ISLAMABAD: Qatar’s former Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani passed away on Sunday at the age 74 as messages of solidarity poured in from across the world for the leader. 

Islamabad is observing a day of national mourning on Monday following the death of former Emir with the national flag flying at half-mast across the country as a mark of respect.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif declared July 13 a day of national mourning "in expression of fraternal solidarity on behalf of the Government and people of Pakistan with the Royal Family, Government and people of Qatar," according to a Cabinet Division notification. President Asif Ali Zardari expressed deep grief over Sheikh Hamad's passing and conveyed heartfelt condolences to Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the government and the brotherly people of Qatar.

A strong supporter of the Palestinian people, Al Thani’s assumed power in 1995 and took Qatar to become the world’s largest exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG), the owner of one of the largest sovereign wealth funds and one of the countries with the highest per capita incomes.

The architect of energy-rich Qatar’s stunning ambitions, the emir turned the from a backwater into an international crossroads in less than a generation. 

During his tenure, spanning till 2013, the Qatar Foundation was established, news agency Al Jazeera was launched, Qatar’s first permanent constitution was promulgated in 1996 and women were granted the right to vote and stand as candidates after municipal elections were introduced. 

The former Emir graduated from the British Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst before he took charge of Qatar’s armed forces.

During his tenure, Qatar emerged as diplomatic broker and mediated different conflicts including Sudan’s western Darfur region, Lebanese factional feuding and the rift between the Palestinians’ Hamas and Fatah factions.

The Emir also saw unprecedented economic growth as the gas boom directly reflected in the performance of Doha’s economy, becoming one of the fastest-growing in the world during 2000s.

According to the World Bank, Qatar’s economy grew more than twentyfold during Sheikh Hamad’s reign with gross domestic product (GDP) rising from about $8 billion in 1995 to about $199 billion in 2013.

A strong supporter of the Palestinians, Al Thani is also being remembered as a steadfast ally of cause.

He visited Gaza in 2012 accompanied by his wife, six years after Israel imposed its crippling international blockade, and announced reconstruction grant to the enclave from $254m to $400m.