Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani dies at 74, the Amiri Diwan and state media announce.He ruled Qatar for 18 years and stepped down voluntarily in 2013, handing power to his son Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani after a period of rapid modernization.He founded
Al Jazeera, built
Qatar Airways and Hamad International Airport, secured the
World Cup and used
Qatar's diplomacy and finance to mediate conflicts while maintaining ties with
Hamas that strained relations with some neighbors.