In many ways, the era that the former emir presided over was a very different Middle East. Against the grain of the time, he was able to position Qatar as a key state in the region.

Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani has died at age 74. The state-run Qatar News Agency reported his death without offering a cause.

Sheikh Hamad, who ruled Qatar from 1995 to 2013, was a key architect of the energy-rich Gulf country's development.

Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the former emir of Qatar who transformed the Gulf nation into a global hub for diplomacy, media and investment, has died at 74, state media…

Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani oversaw economic boom during his rule

Former Qatar Emir and Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani has died at the age of 74.

His reign saw the launch of Al Jazeera and Qatar's emergence as a regional power

Sheikh Hamad, Qatar's transformative former ruler, dies at 74, leaving a complex legacy of modernization and regional influence.