Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, former emir of Qatar, has died at the age of 74, the country’s top government body, the Amiri Diwan, announced on Sunday without mentioning the cause of his death.
Qatar has declared 4 days of public mourning beginning Monday. Government offices and public institutions will remain closed during this period, while flags across the country will fly at half-mast, Doha-based Al Jazeera reported.
Former Qatar emir dies at 74
Sheikh Hamad, who led Qatar from 1995 until 2013, was seen as a key player in shaping the growth and development of the energy-rich nation.
In a statement, the Amiri Diwan said, “With hearts steadfast in faith in God’s decree and destiny, the Amiri Diwan mourns the great loss to the nation of the late—may God have mercy on him—His Highness the Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who passed away this morning, 27 Muharram 1448 AH, corresponding to 12 July 2026, at the age of nearly 74 years.”
PM Modi, other world leaders express condolences
Several world leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, expressed condolences over the former emir’s death.
In a post on X, PM Modi wrote, “We deeply mourn the passing of Father Amir of State of Qatar, HH Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. A visionary leader who led Qatar to great levels of development and prosperity, we remember him also as a true friend whom I had the honour of meeting during my last visit to Qatar in February 2024,.
He added, “I convey my sincere condolences to the Amir of Qatar, HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and the entire royal family and people of Qatar. May the departed soul rest in eternal peace.”
Calling Sheikh Hamad a “great leader and statesman”, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed his condolences to the entire Al Thani family “on this solemn occassion” and expressed his solidarity.
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“On behalf of the people and the Government of Pakistan, as well as on my own behalf, I extend our heartfelt condolences to my Dear Brother the Amir of Qatar His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the distinguished members of the Al Thani family, the Government, as well as the brotherly people of Qatar on this solemn occasion. We stand in solidarity with them in this moment of profound grief,” he wrote.
“Sincere condolences to my brother, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and to the fraternal Qatari people on the passing of their dear departed and our collective loss, the Father Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani,” UAE Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed wrote.
“May God have mercy on him, grant him wide expanses of His Paradise, inspire the people of Qatar and all his loved ones with patience and solace, and indeed to God we belong and to Him we shall return.”
Dr Mohamed Muizzu, President of the Republic of Maldives, also expressed his condolences. “Deeply saddened by the passing of His Highness Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al -Thani, former Amir of the State of Qatar, whose visionary leadership contributed significantly to the development and progress of the State of Qatar,” he wrote.
“I extend my heartfelt condolences to His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Amir of the State of Qatar, on the loss of his beloved father, and to the Royal Family, the Government, and the brotherly people of Qatar. May Allah grant the late His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani the highest ranks of Jannatul Firdaus, and bless him with eternal peace and mercy. Aameen”
All about Sheikh Hamad
Sheikh Hamad is seen as the man who transformed Qatar’s economy from shipping one of its first liquefied natural gas (LNG) containers in 1996 to becoming one of the world’s largest LNG exporters.
Born in 1952, he joined the Qatar Armed Forces in 1971 after finishing his schooling in the UK and ultimately seized power from his father, the then emir of Qatar, in a 1995 bloodless coup as per Allen Fromherz in ‘Qatar: A Modern History’.
Qatar’s economy grew more than 20-fold under Sheikh Hamad’s rule climbing to $199 billion in 2013, as per World Bank data. He is also given credit for establishing the Al Jazeera network in Qatar.
Despite coming from a monarchy, Sheikh Hamad also made some democratic efforts including organising the country’s first municipal elections in 1999, approving a constitution ratified in 2004, supporting protest movements during the Arab World uprising in 2011, sending warplanes to fight against Muammar Qaddafi’s forces in Libya and lending $8 billion to support Egypt’s first Islamist government headed by Mohamed Mursi following the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak in 2011, as per news agency Bloomberg.
Support for these movements often resulted in diplomatic tensions with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt. However, Sheikh Hamad was also particularly skilled at balancing geopolitical rivals.
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He invited the US to build one of its biggest air bases in the region while also maintaining good ties with Iran. An Israeli trade office operated from Qatar during the 2009 Gaza war while support was offered to the Palestinian Hamas movement as well.
One of Sheikh Hamad’s final decisions before abdicating his office to make way for his son also bore great geopolitical consequences. Qatar formally opened an office for Afghanistan’s Taliban. This ultimately led to talks between the US and Taliban, shaping the way for NATO’s ultimate exit from the country in 2021.
