Spain expresses its sorrow at the death of the Emir Emeritus of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa al Thani

The Diplomat The Government of Spain has expressed its deep sorrow at the “sad news of the passing” of the Emir Emeritus of Qatar, Hamad Bin Khalifa al Thani, and has conveyed its heartfelt condolences to the “Emir of the State of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad al Thani, his entire family, the Government, and the people of Qatar.” “The Government of Spain wishes to acknowledge the leadership and legacy of His Highness Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa al Thani, the architect of the modernization of the State of Qatar, who always demonstrated his close and sincere friendship with Spain,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs added in a statement. Hamad bin Khalifa al Thani passed away this Sunday at the age of 74. Al Thani ruled the country for 18 years, from 1995 (when he overthrew his own father in a coup) to 2013, when he abdicated in favor of his son, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. During this period, the country went from being a modest exporter of liquefied natural gas to becoming the world's largest exporter of this product. Spain and Qatar established diplomatic relations on December 22, 1972 (although diplomatic affairs were conducted for many years through the Spanish Embassies in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates) and currently maintain very close relations at the political, economic, commercial, and cultural levels. The King and Queen of Spain (Juan Carlos and Sofía) officially visited Qatar for the first time in November 1980, and returned in October 2003 and April 2006. In between, at the end of 2003, Spain opened its first Embassy in Doha, followed by Qatar's Embassy in Madrid in 2004. All of this ushered in a new era in bilateral relations, further solidified by the visit to Spain of the then Emir, the recently deceased Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, on October 6, 2004. The Qatari sovereign returned to Spain from April 25 to 27, 2011. Qatar is a traditional monarchy headed by the Emir. The monarchy is hereditary, passing from father to son within the Al Thani family.

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