2 min readUpdated: Jul 12, 2026 09:19 PM IST
India has announced a one-day national mourning on Monday (July 13) after Qatar’s former Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, died. Sheikh Hamad headed the gas-rich Gulf country of Qatar from 1995 to 2013.
The former Emir, who was 74-year-old at the time of his death, is credited with transforming the Persian Gulf nation into a key player in diplomacy, media and investment across national boundaries.
India’s tricolour will be flown at half-mast and there will be no official entertainment on the day, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed condolences at the demise of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, noting that he was “a visionary leader who led Qatar to great levels of development and prosperity and was a true friend of India.”
نشعر بحزن عميق لوفاة الأمير الوالد لدولة قطر، صاحب السمو الشيخ حمد بن خليفة آل ثاني.
لقد كان قائداً صاحب رؤية، قاد قطر إلى مستويات عظيمة من التطور والازدهار. ونتذكره أيضاً كصديق حقيقي تشرفت بلقائه خلال زيارتي الأخيرة لقطر في فبراير 2024.
أقدم خالص التعازي لأمير قطر، صاحب السمو…— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 12, 2026
“The Amiri Diwan announced the death of HH the Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani on Sunday morning. May Allah have mercy on his soul and grant him the best reward for what he achieved for his homeland and nation,” the Diwan said in a statement quoted by Reuters. He was 74.
Though the state-run Qatar News Agency announced his death, there was no mention of the cause.
The Qatari leader, during his rule, shattered tradition by voluntarily handing over power to his son, Sheikh Tamim, the current leader of the gas-rich country. He stepped down in June 2013 after 18 years as emir.
The country owns the Harrod’s department store in London and founded the Al Jazeera satellite news network, besides announcing its big-ticket soft-power arrival when it hosted the 2022 FIFA Football World Cup.
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Former Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, centre, arrives before the start of the World Cup group A soccer match between Qatar and Ecuador at the Al Bayt Stadium in Al Khor, Qatar, November 20, 2022. (AP Photo)
Media reports captured how he received thunderous applause from Qataris attending the opening match despite having relinquished power many years ago.
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