Overview
- Qatar's Amiri Diwan announced the death of Sheikh Hamad on Sunday, July 12, 2026, and did not disclose a cause of death.
- Qatar declared several days of public mourning and neighboring states including the UAE and Kuwait also ordered official mourning and flags at half-mast.
- India and Pakistan each announced national days of mourning and leaders from across the Middle East and beyond issued condolences to Emir Sheikh Tamim and the Al Thani family.
- Sheikh Hamad ruled from 1995 to 2013, seized power in a 1995 bloodless palace coup, voluntarily abdicated to his son in 2013, and is credited with building Qatar's LNG industry, founding Al Jazeera and securing the 2022 World Cup bid.
- His death underscores Doha's unusually active foreign policy under his leadership and leaves questions about how his legacy of mediation, regional ties and large global investments will shape Qatar's role going forward.