Doha: The modern-day Qatar is completely different from what it used to be before 1950.
The large-scale construction phenomenon is a recent phenomenon which has completely transformed the country which mostly remained unknown to the world before 1970 when it was under the United Kingdom rule.
Shaikh Hamad bin Khalifa’s first cousin Shaikh Ahmad’s reign was considered a real turning point in the history of Qatar after the state was granted independence from the United Kingdom in 1971.
After the independence, Shaikh Hamad’s first-cousin-once-removed Shaikh Ahmad bin Ali Al Thani became the ruler of the country.
It was around this time when Qatar shot to fame after it acquired vast wealth due to the discovery of untapped oil fields in the region.
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And around this time only Shaikh Hamad graduated from Sandhurst in 1971 and was quickly appointed a Lieutenant Colonel in the Qatari armed forces.
Upon graduation from Sandhurst and after joining in Qatari armed forces, he helped his father wrestle control of the country from Shaikh Ahmad in 1972.
Now under the rule of his father Shaikh Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani, Shaikh Hamad was appointed to the rank of Major General and appointed Commander in Chief of the Qatari Armed Forces, overseeing a major recruitment and resources drive.
In 1995, Shaikh Hamad claimed complete power from his father in a bloodless coup and became the Amir of Qatar.
From 1995, Shaikh Hamad ruled the country for 18 years and exploited the country’s natural oil and gas reserves to make Qatar known among the powerful countries.
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He also played an active role in developing the country’s sports in Qatar, leading to the country hosting high profile tennis and athletics events, and securing the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Qatar’s story from rags to riches became reality under Shaikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani only as he exploited the gas resources which his father Shaikh Khalifa did not develop fearing it would change the emirate's society.
Under this progressive leader, the country remained reasonably peaceful.
Shaikh Hamad did not rely completely on income from gas and oil.
By 2013, Qatar had invested over US$100 billion around the world, most prominently in The Shard, Barclays Bank, Heathrow Airport, Harrods, Paris Saint-Germain F.C., Volkswagen, Siemens and Royal Dutch Shell.
Also read: Rare photos of Qatari Amir Shaikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani
One of the state’s most successful business ventures he developed is the first pan-Arab satellite news channel, Al-Jazeera.
The channel, which broadcasts in English as well as Arabic, is considered among the world’s most respected media organisations.
The small Arabian Peninsula has the highest per capita income in the world, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Qatar’s natural gas production reached 77 million tonnes in 2010, making Qatar the richest country in the world per capita with the average income in the country US$86,440 a year per person.
We have compiled some rare and unseen photos of Qatar and these will give an idea how the modern-day Qatar looked some half a century ago.
Click next to see the rare photos of Qatar and see if you can identify the places
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