India is observing a one-day national mourning on Monday, July 13, 2026 to honour former Qatar Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, recognising his contribution to India-Qatar ties. The national flag is flying at half-mast atop the historic Parliament House, Rashtrapati Bhavan, and Samvidhan Sadan as part of the solemn tribute across the highest landmarks of the national capital. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced that the national flag will be flown at half-mast throughout India on all buildings where it is regularly flown, with no official entertainment that day. As per the MEA statement, the Government of India instituted this day of national mourning to pay homage to Sheikh Hamad's enduring legacy, noting that "The National Flag will be flown at half-mast on the day of mourning throughout India on all buildings where the National Flag is flown regularly, and there will be no official entertainment on the day."
Qatar's former emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani has died at nearly 74 years old on the morning of July 12, according to the Amiri Diwan seat of rule. The Amiri Diwan did not provide a cause of death in their official statement. Sheikh Hamad overthrew his father in a bloodless coup in 1995 while his father was abroad in Switzerland. According to historian Allen Fromherz's Qatar: A Modern History, Sheikh Hamad ordered military units to secure key government buildings after his father attempted to reclaim some of his powers. He remained Emir until 2013, when he voluntarily handed power to his son Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, marking one of the Gulf's rare peaceful transfers of power. Born in 1952 in Doha, Sheikh Hamad studied at Britain's Royal Military Academy Sandhurst before joining the Qatar Armed Forces in 1971 and becoming commander of Qatar's armed forces.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid rich tributes to Sheikh Hamad, remembering him as a forward-thinking statesman who propelled Qatar into one of the most affluent nations globally whilst cementing bilateral relations with India. In a post on X, the Prime Minister stated, "We feel profound sadness at the death of the Father Emir of the State of Qatar, His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. He was a visionary leader who guided Qatar to great levels of development and prosperity. We also remember him as a true friend whom I had the honor of meeting during my last visit to Qatar in February 2024." He added, "I extend my sincerest condolences to the Emir of Qatar, His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and to the noble royal family and the Qatari people. May his soul rest in eternal peace." Union Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju is expected to visit Qatar shortly to convey condolences on behalf of the Indian government to the State of Qatar.
During his reign, Qatar experienced unprecedented economic growth and transformation. The country's GDP increased more than twenty-four fold while production from the North Field turned the country into the world's largest exporter of liquefied natural gas by 2006. Qatar exported its first LNG cargo in 1996, just a year after he assumed power, and over the following decade, the country's massive North Field gas reserves were aggressively developed. According to World Bank data, Qatar's economy expanded from a relatively modest size to nearly $199 billion by 2013, growing more than 20-fold during Sheikh Hamad's rule. In 2005, Qatar established the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), which later became one of the world's largest sovereign wealth funds. Under the leadership of Sheikh Hamad's close adviser Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani (HBJ), the fund acquired stakes in global companies including Barclays Plc and Volkswagen AG, while also purchasing London's iconic Harrods department store after the global financial crisis.
Sheikh Hamad was a great friend of India, with officials noting that during his time, the number of Indians in Qatar grew substantially. As Amir, he visited India in 1999, 2005 and 2012, besides official visits, he also paid numerous personal visits to India. His fondness for India was visible in his interactions with visiting Indian dignitaries, with the last being Prime Minister Modi in February 2024. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had also called on him in December 2020. India's bilateral trade with Qatar in 2023-24 was $14.08 billion, with India's exports to Qatar at $1.7 billion and imports from Qatar at $12.38 billion. Qatar is home to an Indian community of over 830,000, about a fourth of Qatar's total population of almost 3.2 million, with over 20,000 large and small Indian companies operating in Qatar.
Hamad's geopolitical policies occasionally put him at odds with his own allies while establishing Qatar as a major diplomatic player. He hosted the largest US military air base in the Middle East while maintaining cordial relations with Iran. Qatar also maintained contacts with Israel before the 2009 Gaza conflict, even as it cultivated close ties with the Palestinian Hamas movement. One of Sheikh Hamad's most consequential decisions came in 1996, when Qatar extended a $500 million loan to establish Al Jazeera. The Doha-based broadcaster went on to become one of the Arab world's most influential media organizations, gaining international prominence for its coverage of regional politics while frequently challenging governments across the Middle East. When uprisings broke out across the Arab World in 2011, Hamad backed the protest movements, supporting uprisings in Syria and sending warplanes to fight Muammar Qaddafi's forces in Libya. Qatar lent $8 billion to support Egypt's first Islamist government headed by Mohamed Mursi following the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak in 2011.
