Sheikh Hamad, who ruled Qatar between 1995 and 2013, transformed the small oil state in the Persian Gulf into a global player in diplomacy, media and investment. Qatar is one of the world's richest countries and owns, among other things, the Harrods department store in London and the Al Jazeera news channel.
In 2013, the emir handed over power to his son, Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, who has led the country since then. The peaceful, voluntary transfer of power was rare in a region where such change is often the result of overthrows and coups. Sheikh Hamad took control himself after deposing his father, Sheikh Khalifa, in a coup in 1995.
The Swedish Court's former head of information, Elisabeth Tarras-Wahlberg, worked as an adviser to Sheikh Hamad in 2008-2009.
