Former deputy prime minister and long-serving energy minister Abdullah Hamad Al-Attiyah passed away in London on Wednesday.
Abdullah bin Hamad Al-Attiyah, Qatar’s former deputy prime minister and energy minister, was one of the most consequential figures in his country’s transformation from a modest Gulf state into a global energy powerhouse.
Over more than five decades in public life, he shaped Qatar’s emergence as a liquefied natural gas giant, championed climate diplomacy on the world stage, and earned a reputation as one of the Arab world’s most trusted and transparent statesmen.
Qatar News Agency reported that Al-Attiyah died in London on Wednesday. He was 73.
“The Al-Attiyah Foundation announces with profound sadness the passing of His Excellency Abdullah Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah, Former Deputy Prime Minister & Minister of Energy and Industry, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Al-Attiyah Foundation,” read a statement from Abdullah Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah Foundation.
Born in Qatar on 5 December, 1952, he began his career in 1972 at the Ministry of Finance and Petroleum. He later served as Head of International and Public Relations at the ministry before becoming Director of the Office of the Ministry of Interior between 1986 and 1989.
Al-Attiyah was appointed Acting Minister of Finance and Petroleum in 1989, before assuming one of his most consequential roles in 1992 as Minister of Energy and Industry, as well as Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Qatar Petroleum.
During his tenure, Qatar expanded its influence in global energy markets, particularly through the growth of its liquefied natural gas industry.
In 1993, he was appointed President of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and also served on the organisation’s production quota compliance committee.
He later held several senior government positions, including Second Deputy Prime Minister in 2003 and Deputy Prime Minister in 2007.
Internationally, Al-Attiyah became a prominent figure in climate diplomacy.
He was elected President of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development in 2006 and chaired the COP18 climate conference in Doha in 2012.
Sad to hear of the passing of His Excellency Abdullah Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah. A true giant of OPEC having served as its President and acknowledged as the “godfather of gas” for his role as the architect of Qatar’s global LNG business. This picture is from emergency OPEC meeting… pic.twitter.com/q5srWZGvzH
— Andy Critchlow (@baldersdale) May 27, 2026
The conference resulted in the “Doha Climate Gateway” package, which secured an extension of the Kyoto Protocol until 2020 and laid groundwork for the Paris Agreement.
In 2009, he was elected President of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum and oversaw Doha’s approval as the organisation’s permanent headquarters.
Former deputy prime minister and former energy minister Abdullah bin Hamad al-Attiyah has passed away. Sending my deepest condolences to his family and all Qataris on this huge loss. Minister Attiyah was one of the media’s most favored officials known for his transparency and… pic.twitter.com/B22mhTNTeT
— Amena Bakr (@Amena__Bakr) May 27, 2026
His final public role was Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Al-Attiyah Foundation.
Al-Attiyah received received numerous international honours throughout his career, including Qatar’s Pendant of Independence from Qatar’s Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Netherlands’ Order of Orange-Nassau and Japan’s Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun.
