Photos: Qatari Father Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani

Qatari Father Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani has died at the age of 74, the Amiri Diwan has announced.

“With hearts steadfast in faith in God’s decree and destiny, the Amiri Diwan mourns the great loss to the nation of the late – may God have mercy on him – His Highness the Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who passed away this morning,” the emir’s office said in a statement on Sunday.

Sheikh Hamad, who ruled Qatar from 1995 to 2013, was a key architect of the energy-rich Gulf state’s rapid development.

During his reign, Qatar underwent significant economic, social and cultural changes that strengthened its standing in the international community.

Sheikh Hamad oversaw major economic investments and forged wide-ranging international partnerships as Qatar became the world’s largest exporter of liquefied natural gas.

In 2013, he handed power to his son, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who was then 33, in a rare abdication by a hereditary Gulf Arab ruler.