Obituary: Emir Sheikh Khalifa Bin Hamad Al-Thani, 1932-2016

The former emir of Qatar, Sheikh Khalifa Bin Hamad Al-Thani, died on 23 October at the age of 84. He ruled Qatar from 1972 until his overthrow by his son, Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani in 1995. Returned to Doha, Sheikh Khalifa had been unwell for some time; it was reported in July that he was seriously ill. While only a few would call him a great leader, Sheikh Khalifa was a historic ruler who oversaw a key period of Qatar’s development, showing a much-need level of professional competence in the earlier years of his rule.