Former emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, dies at 74

DUBAI, July 12 - Qatar's former emir, who revolutionised Qatar out of its Bedouin background to a regional powerhouse, has died at the age of 74, the nation's Amiri Diwan, its top government body, said on Sunday.

Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani ruled Qatar from 1995 to 2013, before abdicating to his son Sheikh Tamim, the current leader of the gas-rich Gulf country.

"The Amiri Diwan announced the death of HH the Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani on Sunday morning. May Allah have mercy on his soul and grant him the best reward for what he achieved for his homeland and nation," the Diwan said.

Sheikh Hamad had elevated Qatar's global profile through the development of the Al Jazeera television network, as well as its successful bid to host the 2022 soccer World Cup tournament.

The U.S.-allied state is small, with more than 2.5 million people, but is the world's largest exporter of liquefied natural gas, a global investment powerhouse and heavy hitter in Middle East diplomacy and international media.

Sheikh Hamad handed power to his son, the then crown prince, in June 2013 in a rare abdication by a hereditary Gulf Arab ruler, to try to ensure a smooth succession. He himself had overthrown his father in a bloodless coup in 1995. REUTERS