Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani

Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani transformed Qatar from a quiet Gulf state into a global power player during his 18-year reign. He founded Al Jazeera, won the bid to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and invested heavily in international real estate and finance. He abdicated in 2013 in favour of his son, one of the few voluntary transfers of power in the Gulf.