00:01Qatar's former ruler Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani passed away on Sunday at the age of 74,
00:06according to a statement by the Amiri Diwan, the Gulf country's official administrative office.
00:12In a statement, the Diwan attributed one of the country's greatest leaders,
00:16praising him for his kindness, humanitarian contributions,
00:20and vision that has transformed the desert nation on the global stage.
00:24Sheikh Hamad is the father of the current ruler Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani
00:28and was Amir between 1995 and 2013.
00:31He's widely recognized for bringing about huge social, industrial, economic, and cultural change in Qatar,
00:37with much of his work serving as foundation to the achievements the nation has accomplished in recent years.
00:43Sheikh Hamad was born in 1952 and went on to study at the UK Royal Military College Sandhurst
00:50before returning and joining public service until becoming the crown prince in the late 1970s.
00:55Doha has declared a four-day period of national mourning for the remainder of the work week,
01:00which starts on Sundays in the Arab country.
01:03Flags will also be flown at half-mast for the duration of the mourning period.
01:08Thank you for joining us.
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