Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani ruled Qatar from 1995 ​to 2013, before abdicating to his son, Sheikh ​Tamim, the current leader of the gas-rich Gulf ⁠country.

“The Amiri Diwan announced the death of HH the ​Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani on Sunday morning. ​May Allah have mercy on his soul and grant him the best reward for what he achieved for his homeland and ​nation,” the Diwan said.

Sheikh Hamad had elevated Qatar’s global ​profile through the development of the Al Jazeera television network, as ‌well ⁠as its successful bid to host the 2022 soccer World Cup tournament.

The US-allied state is small, with more than 2.5 million people, but is the world’s largest ​exporter of liquefied ​natural gas, ⁠a global investment powerhouse and heavy hitter in Middle East diplomacy and international media.

Sheikh ​Hamad handed power to his son, the ​then crown ⁠prince, in June 2013 in a rare abdication by a hereditary Gulf Arab ruler, to try to ensure a ⁠smooth ​succession. He himself had overthrown ​his father in a bloodless coup in 1995.