Sheikh Ahmad bin al-Thani - 20 NP

This 1961 definitive postage stamp from Qatar features a portrait of Sheikh Ahmad bin Ali al-Thani, who served as the country's ruler from 1960 to 1972. Sheikh Ahmad bin Ali al-Thani was the fifth ruler of Qatar and the first to formally hold the title of Amir. His reign, which spanned from 1960 to 1972, was a transformative era marked by rapid economic growth following the discovery of several major oil fields, including the world’s first fully operational offshore seabed facility at Idd al-Shargi. Beyond economic expansion, Sheikh Ahmad laid the foundations of the modern Qatari state by establishing essential government institutions like the Ministry of Finance and the Civil Service Department. Most notably, he oversaw the nation’s transition to full sovereignty, signing the declaration of independence from Great Britain on September 3, 1971.