Qatar’s former emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, dies at the age of 74, Qatar’s top government body, the Amiri Diwan, announces. Multiple outlets report that the announcement comes on Sunday morning and does not specify a cause of death. Sheikh Hamad seized power in 1995, and during his rule he presides over a period described as highly consequential for the country. Sources characterize him as a moderniser who drives rapid transformation in Qatar, reshaping its economy, widening its global profile and increasing its political ambitions. In 2013, he hands power to his son, Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, ending the rule he began in 1995. Reporting across outlets agrees that the emirate inherited by Sheikh Tamim was already substantially influenced by Sheikh Hamad’s ongoing reforms and changes. The accounts also concur on the basic timeline: the 1995 rise to power and the 2013 transfer to his successor.