Mirziyoyev Attends Funeral for Former Qatari Emir Hamad Al Thani
Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev travelled to Qatar on July 14 to attend mourning ceremonies for the former Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who died on July 12 aged 74.
During the visit, Mirziyoyev met with the current ruler, Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
«Sheikh Hamad Al Thani was a political figure who made an immense contribution to the historical achievements of the State of Qatar, large-scale creative work, dynamic socio-economic reforms and the strengthening of the country’s international authority,» Mirziyoyev’s press service said in a statement.
The two men also discussed future cooperation between Tashkent and Doha. Following the talks, Mirziyoyev officially invited the Qatari emir to visit Uzbekistan. Prior to the trip, the president sent formal condolences to the Qatari government regarding the former emir’s passing.
Born in Doha in 1952, Hamad completed his early education in Qatar before graduating from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in the UK. By the late 1980s, he directed the state council responsible for economic and social development. He assumed power in 1995 after deposing his father while the ruling monarch was in Switzerland.
Hamad’s subsequent reign fundamentally transformed the Gulf nation. He attracted massive foreign investment into the oil and gas sector to trigger a rapid economic boom. Under his administration, the gross domestic product multiplied more than 24 times and average citizen incomes increased sixfold.
Qatar subsequently emerged as one of the world’s leading exporters of liquefied natural gas. The government channelled this vast hydrocarbon wealth into modernising infrastructure by building roads, hospitals and schools while significantly advancing domestic healthcare and education.
