India announces one-day mourning after death of former Qatar Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "India announces one-day mourning after death of former Qatar Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani")
Commuters drive past a billboard bearing a portrait of Qatar's former leader Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani in Doha on July 12, 2026, after the announcement of his death. Photograph: (AFP)
India has declared a one-day state mourning for former Qatar Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, with the national flag to fly at half-mast.
The Union Government has declared a one-day mourning period as a "mark of respect" for the former Emir and "Father Amir" of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, who passed away at the age of 74. The announcement was made by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs on its official website. It said that the national flag will be flown at half mast, and all forms of official entertainment will be banned throughout India.
“Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi has expressed condolences at the demise of His Highness Father Amir 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,” read the statement from the Ministry of External Affairs.
Indian Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju will visit Qatar “to convey condolences on behalf of the Government of India to the State of Qatar." The nation is currently observing a four-day period of official public mourning following the passing of the current Emir's father, the "Father Emir."
Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani served as the Emir of Qatar between 1995 and 2013. He is widely regarded as the driving force behind the modernisation of Qatar, expanding the natural gas industry and emerging the emirate as a hub for finance, tourism and sports. The Qatari nationals enjoy an immense per-capita GDP and a huge social welfare net, such as free health care and education. The Indian community is the largest expatriate group residing in Qatar. India also shares a multifaceted bilateral relationship with Qatar, ranging from energy security, trade and defence. However, on the dark side, there are reports of human rights abuses faced by Indian migrant labourers. The Kafala system, which human rights bodies state facilitates modern-day bonded labour of hundreds of thousands of Indians.
