Early life and deposition Sheikh Ahmad was born in
Doha, the capital city of Qatar, in 1922 as the second son of Sheikh
Ali bin Abdullah Al Thani, along with 9 brothers and 3 sisters, although some sources claim that he had 10 brothers instead of 9. Sheikh Ahmad attended numerous royal coronations, including the
coronation of Elizabeth II at
Westminster Abbey in 1953. He took the throne on 24 October 1960 after his father abdicated in his favor. Sheikh Ahmad then assumed throne and became the emir through the final years of dependency, overseeing the nation's independence from
Great Britain in 1971. On the day his reign began, his cousin Sheikh
Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani was appointed as the heir apparent and deputy ruler.
Reign 1963 Arab Nationalism movements In April 1963, a
nationalist labor group known as the
National Unity Front was formed in response to a relative of Sheikh Ahmad opening fire on a nationalist demonstration and killing a protester. The demonstration had been organized by North Yemeni migrant workers who supported their government's union with the
United Arab Republic. The group's formation was precipitated by public dissent with the ruling family's extravagant lifestyles and Sheikh Ahmed's long absences abroad since he ascended to the throne in 1960. Co-founded by a wealthy businessman and a tribal leader, the group soon gained popularity among Arab nationalists, individuals sympathetic to the
Ba'ath Party and Qatari laborers. They staged a mini-uprising in the central
Doha market that year in response to the shooting where they presented their demands to the government. Some of these demands would have curtailed Sheikh Ahmad's power. The government rejected all these demands, and amid a tense atmosphere, many of the National Unity Front members were arrested and detained without trial. However, Sheikh Ahmad did institute some reforms, such as the provision of land and loans to poor farmers.
Achievements Economic achievements Sheikh Ahmad's rule saw the growth of economic activities in the country as the result of the discovery of a large number of oil fields in Qatar. In January 1964, full-scale production commenced in the Idd al-Shargi field, the first seabed field in the world to be operated entirely as an offshore facility. Moreover, in 1963, the larger field at Maydan Mahzam was discovered and in 1965 an oil terminal was set up on
Halul Island. Exploration of the Bul Hannien field started in 1965 and production commenced in 1977. With the growth of oil economy, Qatar moved rapidly towards the introduction of modern administrative system. Sheikh Ahmad established the Ministry of Finance in November 1960 and Sheikh Khalifa, the Heir Apparent and Deputy Ruler, was appointed as the first Minister of Finance. After that, Sheikh Ahmed established The Department of General Financial and Administration in order to handle all governmental affairs of a financial and administrative nature. The Department of Civil Service was set up in 1967.
Independence of Qatar Gradually the administration of Qatar began to take shape and the country moved towards independence. Following the British Labour Government's announcement in January 1968, for withdrawal from the east of Suez terminating the treaties of protection with the Gulf rulers and their failure to form a confederation of the nine gulf states, Qatar moved forward on forming a cabinet. On 2 April 1970, the Provisional Constitution for Qatar was promulgated and the first Council of Ministers of the country was formed on 28 May 1970. The independence of Qatar as a sovereign state terminating the Anglo-Qatari Treaty of 1916 was declared on 3 September 1971.
Deposition Sheikh Khalifa deposed Sheikh Ahmad on 22 February 1972 in a bloodless
coup d'état. At the time Sheikh Ahmad was in
Iran on a hunting trip. After his deposition, Sheikh Ahmad lived in self imposed exile in
Dubai with his wife – the daughter of the late Ruler of Dubai – and children.
Death Though some reconciliation was achieved with his cousin, Sheikh Ahmad elected to remain in exile and died in London while getting treated for cancer on 25 November 1977.{{cite journal|title=Chronology November 16, 1977-February 15, 1978|journal=
The Middle East Journal|year=1978 == Marriage and children ==