Former Qatar ruler Sheikh Hamad dies at age 74

July 13 (UPI) -- Former Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the ruler of Qatar from 1995 until abdicating in favor of his son in 2013, has died, the emir's office said. He was 74.

Hamad died Sunday morning, Qatar's Amiri Diwan said in a statement.

No cause of death was disclosed.

A four-day mourning period, starting Sunday, was declared by the Amiri Diwan, which stated work at ministries, government agencies and public authorities will be suspended from Monday and resume on July 19.

Flags will be flown at half-staff throughout Qatar during the mourning period, it said.

Born in Doha in January 1952, Hamad deposed his father, Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani, in a bloodless coup on June 27, 1995, following a protracted power struggle. Hamad, who had reached the rank of major general in the Qatari military, had assumed increasing responsibility for defense and day-to-day government, as well as significant power and influence, before ousting his father, who had ruled Qatar for its first 23 years of independence from Britain.

Under Hamad's stewardship, Qatar experienced rapid development, bolstered by a liquefied natural gas export boom that began in 1996, according to his official biography.

By 2006, Qatar was the largest LNG exporter, with capacity hitting 77 million tons per annum in 2010.

On June 25, 2013, almost exactly 18 years to the day he assumed leadership of Qatar, Hamad, then 61, announced his son, Tamim bin Hamad, would be taking over.

Foreign leaders expressed their condolences as news of Hamad's death spread.

"The Father Amir, the late Sheikh Hamad, was a great leader and a distinguished statesman whose wisdom, foresight and dedication to serving his people contributed to transforming the State of Qatar into a modern, prosperous nation respected on the global stage," Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan said in an online statement.

"We will always cherish the warmth of sentiment, generosity of character and genuine affection that the Father Amir held toward Pakistan, just as we will preserve the memories of his many visits to our country with the utmost appreciation and pride."

Prime Minister Mark Carney of Canada said he was extending his "deepest condolences" to the Al Thani family and the people of Qatar.

"He led the State of Qatar through a remarkable period of transformation and helped shape its role on the global stage," Carney said in a statement.

"On behalf of Canadians, I offer our sympathies during this time of mourning."