US Vice President JD Vance Offers Condolences to HH the Amir

Doha - His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Amir of the State of Qatar, received a telephone call on Wednesday from His Excellency JD Vance, Vice President of the United States of America, during which the Vice President extended his deepest condolences and sympathies to His Highness on the passing of HH the Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.

During the call, Vice President Vance conveyed his sincere condolences and sympathy on behalf of the United States government and people, offering his sorrow over the loss of the Father Amir, who is widely regarded as one of the principal architects of modern Qatar. For his part, His Highness the Amir expressed his profound thanks and gratitude to the US Vice President for his kind condolences, thanking him for personally reaching out during this period of national mourning.

The gesture from Washington adds to a wave of international condolences that have poured in since the Amiri Diwan announced the passing of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani on Sunday, July 12, at the age of 74. Qatar's top government body confirmed that the Father Amir passed away that morning, corresponding to 27 Muharram 1448 AH, prompting the state to declare a four-day period of official mourning. Government agencies and public institutions suspended work, and flags were flown at half-mast across the country for the duration of the mourning period.

Sheikh Hamad ruled Qatar from 1995 until his abdication in 2013, when he voluntarily handed power to his son and heir apparent, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani - a rare transfer of authority among hereditary Gulf Arab rulers. Over his 18-year reign, Qatar underwent a dramatic economic and social transformation, emerging as the world's largest exporter of liquefied natural gas and one of the wealthiest nations globally by GDP per capita. He is also credited with founding the Al Jazeera Media Network in 1996 and securing Qatar's successful bid to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Funeral prayers for the Father Amir were held at the Imam Muhammad bin Abdul Wahab Mosque in Doha, after which he was laid to rest at Lusail Cemetery. Numerous heads of state and senior officials from across the Gulf, the wider Arab world, and beyond have continued to convey messages of condolence to Qatar's leadership and the Al Thani family in the days following his passing.

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