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Qatar's ex-ruler back home after Swiss care

AFP/The Local
AFP/The Local - [email protected]
Qatar's ex-ruler back home after Swiss care
Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani. Photo: Michal Jozefaciuk

Qatar's former emir has returned to Doha and is "successfully recovering" following an emergency operation in Zurich after breaking a leg while on holiday, the Qatari government said on Tuesday.

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Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, known as the "Father Emir", broke his leg while holidaying at a Moroccan resort in the Atlas mountains in late December.
   
He arrived back in Qatar on Monday and was welcomed by his son, the ruling Emir Sheikh Tamim, and members of the royal family, the government said in a statement.
   
"Father Emir is well and is successfully recovering from his leg injury," it said.
   
The former ruler was flown to Zurich after the injury happened on December 26th, and underwent an operation at the Schulthess Clinic.
   
Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad, one of the former emir's sons, posted a picture on Twitter which showed Sheikh Hamad, 64, sitting on a wheelchair apparently on his arrival back to Qatar.
   
Sheikh Hamad ruled Qatar from 1995 to 2013, overseeing its transformation into one of the richest countries of the world.
   
He stepped down from power in June 2013 when he announced in a televised address he would hand power to his son.
   
As many as nine planes belonging to Qatar's royal family landed in Switzerland, following the injury to the former ruler.

The Qatari royal family had to pay extra fees to land the former emir because his plane arrived at Zurich's Kloten airport after 11pm, according to Swiss media reports.

A spokeswoman from the airport said the family was billed more than 18,000 francs in special charges.

Flights are generally banned at Kloten between 11pm and 6am except for medical emergencies.

 

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