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Emir Shaikh Khalifa bin Hamad bin Abdullah bin Jassim bin Muhammed Al Thani GCB GCMG[1] (born 1932) was the Emir of Qatar from 1972 until he was deposed by his son Hamad bin Khalifa in 1995.[2]
Born in Rayyan, he was a son of Hamad bin Abdullah Al Thani and grandson of Abdullah bin Jassim Al Thani.
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On 22 February 1972, Sheikh Khalifa Bin Hamad Bin Abdullah Al-Thani became the Emir of Qatar. Upon becoming the Emir of the State of Qatar, Sheikh Khalifa started the process of the reorganization of the government. The first task of Sheikh Khalifa was to appoint a Foreign Minister and an adviser to advise the Emir in the day-to-day affairs of the country.
On 19 April 1972, he amended the Constitution and enlarged the Cabinet by appointing more ministers. Diplomatic relations were also established with a number of the foreign countries at ambassadorial level.
On 18 July 1989, the Council of Ministers was reshuffled for the first time, replacing most of the previous ministers and consisting of 15 ministers. The Cabinet was again reshuffled under the Premiership of Sheikh Khalifa on 1 September 1992, enlarging it to 17 members.[3]
The state revenue from oil sector had increased as the result of the rising of a number of production sharing agreements with foreign oil companies. Two production-sharing agreements were signed with the Standard Oil Company of Ohio in January 1985 and Amoco in February 1986. In January 1989, another production sharing agreement was signed between Qatar and the France State owned oil company Elf Aquitaine.
In the middle of 1991, production of gas in the Qatar North Field, the world’s largest single field of non-associated gas commenced, which has proven gas of reserves of around 250 trillion cubic feet and probable reserves of 500 trillion cubic feet. While the search for finding more oil deposits in Qatar continued, Qatar built an industrial base in order to reduce dependence on the oil sector.
While Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani was staying in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1995 his son Hamad bin Khalifa deposed him in a bloodless coup d'état. He lived in exile in France from the day he was deposed and he returned to Qatar in 2004.
He was more conservative than his son, but in general he is thought to be the one who began the country's process of modernization.[4]
He has five sons and ten daughters from four wives.
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Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani
Born: 1932 |
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| Preceded by Ahmad ibn `Ali Al Thani |
Emir of Qatar 1972 -1995 |
Succeeded by Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani |
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