Saudi Leadership Offers Condolences as Qatar Mourns Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani

The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, have conveyed their condolences to HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani following the passing of HH the Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, extending their sympathies to the leadership and people of Qatar.

Qatar's Amiri Diwan announced the death of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani on Sunday morning, July 12, 2026, at the age of 74, saying it mourned "the great loss to the nation." State media did not disclose a cause of death. Qatar has declared a four-day period of public mourning, with work suspended at government agencies and public bodies and flags flown at half-mast. Funeral prayers were held Sunday evening at the Imam Muhammad bin Abdul Wahab Mosque, with burial at Lusail Cemetery.

A Global Outpouring of Condolences

The Saudi leadership's message joins a wide list of condolences from world leaders following Sheikh Hamad's passing. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi offered his "deepest condolences and sympathies to the sisterly State of Qatar," while UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Dubai's Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan also extended sympathies to Sheikh Tamim and the Al Thani family.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed profound sorrow, crediting the late father amir with elevating the political, commercial, military, humanitarian, and cultural relationship between Turkey and Qatar. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Sheikh Hamad "a visionary leader" and "a true friend," recalling meeting him during a visit to Qatar in February 2024. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun described him as "a true friend of Lebanon," citing his diplomatic efforts to help end the 2006 war with Israel.

Who Was Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani?

Sheikh Hamad ruled Qatar from 1995 to 2013, coming to power in a bloodless palace takeover of his father while the latter was abroad. He is widely regarded as the chief architect of modern Qatar, transforming what was once a small, marginal emirate with nearly empty state coffers into a major global player in energy, diplomacy, media, and investment.

Under his 18-year rule, Qatar launched the Al Jazeera television network in 1996, established the Qatar Investment Authority, and became the world's largest exporter of liquefied natural gas, helping the country become one of the wealthiest in the world by GDP per capita. Sheikh Hamad also built Qatar's role as a regional mediator, with the country's diplomacy brought to bear on conflicts including Sudan's Darfur crisis, Lebanese factional disputes, and the rift between Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah. In one of his final initiatives before stepping down, Qatar opened an office for Afghanistan's Taliban, later paving the way for U.S.-Taliban talks.

Sheikh Hamad was still in power when Qatar was awarded hosting rights for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in 2010. In June 2013, he made a historic and voluntary abdication, unusual for a hereditary Gulf Arab ruler, handing power to his son, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who was 33 at the time. Sheikh Hamad remained a visible public figure afterward, receiving a standing ovation from thousands of Qataris when he attended the opening match of the 2022 World Cup.