Leaders and senior officials from across the Gulf, the Middle East, Europe, Africa and Asia gathered in Doha this week to offer condolences following the death of Qatar’s former Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani.
The official mourning period saw a series of meetings at Lusail Palace, where Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani received visiting delegations over two days.
Among the Gulf leaders, Bahrain’s Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Kuwait’s Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khalid Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, UAE Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Oman’s Deputy Prime Minister Sayyid Shihab bin Tarik Al Said visited Doha to express their condolences. Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman also conveyed his condolences to Sheikh Tamim during a phone call.
Regional leaders who attended included Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid and Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani. Libya was also represented by senior officials, while the secretaries-general of the Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation Council took part in the condolence visits.
European delegations included Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Swiss Vice President Ignazio Cassis. FIFA President Gianni Infantino also traveled to Doha to pay his respects.
From Africa, Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani and Comoros President Azali Assoumani were among those who visited the Qatari capital.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev also attended, while India was represented by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju.
The visits followed the death of Sheikh Hamad on Sunday at the age of 74. During his reign as Emir from 1995 to 2013, he oversaw Qatar’s transformation into a major regional and international player through economic growth, diplomacy and investment.
Qatar’s three-day mourning period concludes on Tuesday, with condolence visits highlighting the country’s diplomatic ties and longstanding relationships with leaders from around the world.
