Former Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa, who changed the fortunes of Qatar, passes away, took command of power in a coup

A very big news is coming out from global politics and the Middle East. Former Emir (ruler) Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who transformed Qatar from a small unknown country to the world’s richest and modern country, has passed away. The news of his demise has sent a wave of mourning across the global corridors including the Gulf countries. Sheikh Hamad is considered the creator of modern Qatar, who with his vision and decisions not only took the country’s economy to new heights, but also made Qatar a major center of international diplomacy. The historic coup of 1995 that changed the history of Qatar The story of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani coming to power has been very dramatic and historical. In 1995, when his father was out of the country on a trip to Switzerland, Sheikh Hamad took power in Qatar through a bloodless coup. At that time the economic condition of Qatar was not as strong as it is today. After assuming power, he adopted a new and aggressive policy regarding the use of the country’s natural resources, which changed the entire face of the country in the coming decades. Sheikh Hamad’s biggest success was to identify Qatar’s huge natural gas reserves and utilize them properly. Under his leadership, Qatar invested heavily in the production and export of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). Within no time, Qatar became the world’s largest LNG exporter. This gas revolution made the per capita income of Qatar’s citizens the highest in the world and brought the small desert country into the ranks of the richest and most powerful countries in the world. Sheikh Hamad, who started the global media network Al Jazeera and dominated diplomacy, was not limited to just economic reforms, but he gave Qatar a big identity on the global stage. In 1996, he founded the famous international news channel ‘Al Jazeera’, which changed the course of journalism in the Middle East and around the world. Along with this, he made Qatar’s airline ‘Qatar Airways’ among the best airlines in the world and also laid the foundation of big events like FIFA World Cup by investing in the world of sports. In 2013, he voluntarily handed over power to his son and current Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. With his death a major chapter in the history of the Middle East has ended.