The Amiri Diwan has announced that the former Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, has passed away at the age of 74. His leadership was defined by a period of significant modernization for the country.

卡塔爾王室辦公廳（Amiri Diwan）宣布，前埃米爾謝哈馬德·賓·哈利法·阿勒薩尼於 74 歲時逝世。他的領導定義了該國重大現代化的時期。

Sheikh Hamad came to power in 1995 after a peaceful coup that removed his father. During his eighteen-year rule, he focused on developing the North Field, which helped Qatar become one of the world's leading exporters of liquefied natural gas (LNG). Consequently, the nation's GDP grew more than twenty-four times, and the government created the Qatar Investment Authority to manage global assets, such as Harrods and Paris Saint-Germain.

謝哈馬德於 1995 年在一次推翻其父親的和平政變後上台。在他十八年的統治期間，他專注於開發北田（North Field），幫助卡塔爾成為全球領先的液化天然氣（LNG）出口國之一。因此，該國 GDP 增長了二十四倍以上，政府還成立了卡塔爾投資局來管理全球資產，例如 Harrods 和巴黎聖日耳曼足球俱樂部。

In addition to economic growth, the Emir introduced important political reforms. For example, he started municipal elections in 1999, which allowed women to vote, and he established a permanent constitution in 2004. Furthermore, he launched the 'Qatar National Vision 2030' to move the country toward a knowledge-based economy, supported by the Qatar Foundation's work in education and research.

除了經濟增長，埃米爾還引入了重要的政治改革。例如，他在 1999 年開始市議會選舉，允許女性投票，並在 2004 年制定了永久憲法。此外，他啟動了「卡塔爾 2030 國家願景」，旨在將國家推向知識型經濟，由卡塔爾基金會在教育和研究方面提供支持。

On the international stage, Sheikh Hamad used the Al Jazeera network, launched in 1996, to increase Qatar's influence, although this often caused tension with neighboring countries. He also positioned Qatar as a key mediator in conflicts in Lebanon and Darfur. However, his support for Islamist groups during the 2011 Arab Spring caused serious regional disputes and led to a boycott of Qatar. Finally, the 2010 bid for the 2022 World Cup brought international criticism regarding human rights and labor laws. In 2013, he voluntarily stepped down to give power to his son, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

在國際舞台上，謝哈馬德利用 1996 年創立的半島電視台（Al Jazeera）來增加卡塔爾的影響力，儘管這經常引起與鄰國的緊張關係。他也將卡塔爾定位為黎巴嫩和達爾富爾衝突的關鍵調停者。然而，他在 2011 年「阿拉伯之春」期間對伊斯蘭主義團體的支持引起了嚴重的區域爭端，並導致卡塔爾遭到抵制。最後，2010 年申辦 2022 年世界盃引起了國際社會對人權和勞工法的批評。2013 年，他自願退位將權力移交給其子謝塔米姆·賓·哈馬德·阿勒薩尼。

The state has announced four days of public mourning. The funeral services were held in Doha, and he was buried at the Lusail Cemetery.

政府宣布全國哀悼四天。葬禮在多哈舉行，他被安葬在盧賽爾公墓。