Ten and more facts on the history of Qatar

Qatar is a very well-known country today. It has the 2022 FIFA World Cup tournament under its belt. It has, most importantly, the oil wells safely in its grip. And no need to mention, one of the highest GDPs in the world.

(Pic by Oryx)

However, Qatar wasn’t always as wealthy as how it is now. It has quite a colourful history that dates back to many centuries ago.

For those who are new to the country and for those who don’t know its history, here’s a small rundown on the history of Qatar.

#- Qatar is a small peninsula which was controlled by the sheikhs of Bahrain at the beginning.

#- However, in 1867 a war broke out between the people and their ruler. To keep peace, the British installed Muhammed ibn Thani Al-Thani, the head of a reputed Qatari family as the head of the country.

#- In 1893, the Ottomon Turks staged an invasion but the Emir of Qatar deflected the attack successfully.

#- In 1916, the Emir agreed to allow the nation to come under the British protectorate.

#- Drilling of the first oil well began in Dukhan in 1938. It took more than a year for the people to discover oil there.

#- In 1940, oil was discovered in Qatar. Until the discovery of oil, the main livelihood of the people of Qatar depended on fishing and pearl diving.

(Source:wikipedia.org)

#- Oil brought wealth into the country in the 1950’s and 1960’s. Now, around 85% of the country’s income from exports comes from oil.

#-In 1971, Qatar was expected join the other emirates of the Trucial Coast in order to become a part of the UAE. But Qatar and Bahrain refused to merge and became independent nations.

#- In 1991, International forces began using Qatar as a base during the Persian Gulf War.

#Qatar and its neighbours had many disagreements between them. One such border dispute that Qatar had with Saudi Arabia in 1992, was resolved. However, the territorial disputes with Bahrain still remain unsolved.

#-In June 1995, Crown Prince Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani deposed his father, primarily because the king was out of step with the country's economic reforms.

(Pic by Karim Jaafar)

#- The new Emir lifted press censorship and instituted other liberal reforms, including democratic elections and women's suffrage (1999).

# It was under his rule which lasted for 18 years until 2013, that Qatar became a full-fledged, wealthy nation.

#- In 2003, Crown Prince Jassim declared he never wanted to be the king and renounced his rights for the throne in favour of his younger brother Prince Tamim as the Emir.

#- On June 25, 2013, Emir Sheikh Hamad ibn Khalifah Al Thani abdicated the throne. His fourth son, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, age 33, succeeded him as the Emir.

(Pic by Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah)

(Cover image by Juandc)