Former Qatari Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani dies at 74

Former Qatari Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who ruled the country from 1995 to 2013, has died at the age of 74, Al Jazeera reports.

In an official statement, authorities said Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani passed away on Sunday morning, July 12. The Emir’s Court described his death as a major loss for the nation.

According to Al Arabiya, the current Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the grandson of the late ruler, declared three days of national mourning across the country.

The reports also noted that Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani, born in 1932, was Qatar’s sixth emir and the second ruler from the Al Thani dynasty. He governed the country for more than two decades, from 1972 to 1995.

By Jeyhun Aghazada