DOHA, 15 October 2004 — Qatar’s former emir Sheikh Khalifa ibn Hamad Al-Thani returned to Doha yesterday to attend his wife’s funeral, his first time in the country since he was deposed by his son in a 1995 palace coup.
“The emir-father Sheikh Khalifa ibn Hamad Al-Thani returned to Doha this morning. Emir Sheikh Hamad ibn Khalifa Al-Thani led (members of the ruling family) who greeted him,” the official QNA news agency reported.
The use of the word “returned” left open the possibility that he would remain in the country after the funeral of his wife Sheikha Mozah bint Ali ibn Saud ibn Abdul Aziz Al-Thani.
Newspapers yesterday published news of the death of Sheikha Mozah, who was not the mother of the current emir.
The “emir-father,” as he is known here, had not returned to Qatar since he was deposed by the current ruler, Sheikh Hamad, in June 1995, staying mostly in Europe.
The current emir and his father have been reconciled after settling a multibillion-dollar financial dispute.
