Qatar's former ruler Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani has died at 74

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Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani has died at age 74. The state-run Qatar News Agency reported his death without offering a cause. During his rule of Qatar, he transformed the tiny Persian Gulf nation into a global player in diplomacy, media and investment and then shattered tradition by voluntarily turning over power to his son. Sheikh Hamad stepped down in June 2013 after 18 years as emir. He was the architect of energy-rich Qatar’s stunning ambitions that turned it from a backwater into an international crossroads in less than a generation.