Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the former emir of Qatar who steered the small Gulf state’s emergence as a liquefied natural gas giant and an assertive diplomatic actor, has died at the age of 74. The Amiri Diwan, Qatar’s sovereign body, announced his death on Sunday, saying he passed away in the morning; no cause was given. Qatar declared four days of national mourning, suspended government work and lowered flags to half-mast. Funeral prayers were expected after sunset at a cemetery in Lusail, with the current emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, scheduled to receive condolences from heads of state from 13 to 15 July.

Condolences poured in from governments across Asia, Africa and the Middle East, reflecting Qatar’s broadened international footprint. India’s prime minister Narendra Modi described Sheikh Hamad as a “visionary leader” and a “true friend”, while announcing a day of national mourning. Indonesia’s foreign ministry conveyed its “deepest condolences” to the royal family and people of Qatar. Malaysia’s prime minister Anwar Ibrahim called the former emir’s 2013 voluntary abdication “a rare act of statesmanship”. Iran’s foreign ministry offered sympathy, and European monarchs, including King Charles III and Queen Camilla, praised his “dedicated service” to Qatar.

Analysts in Gulf capitals attribute to his 18-year rule — launched by a bloodless palace coup in 1995 — the harnessing of the country’s vast natural gas reserves to build a sovereign wealth fund, launch the Al Jazeera network, and secure the 2022 football World Cup. Qatar became the world’s top LNG exporter, acquired London’s Harrods department store and French football club Paris Saint-Germain, and pursued an independent foreign policy that included mediating in conflicts from Darfur to Lebanon. Analysts in the region note that Doha’s outreach to Iran, Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood often irritated neighbouring Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt, contributing to a regional rift that peaked with a 2017–2021 blockade of Qatar, though relations have since mended.

Western diplomats recall that Sheikh Hamad hosted the vast al-Udeid US airbase, making Qatar a key logistical hub for American operations, even as Al Jazeera drew Washington’s ire for airing al-Qaeda statements. His legacy of parallel diplomacy endures: Qatar currently facilitates indirect US-Iran talks and efforts to halt the war in Gaza. Analysts in London and Washington anticipate no immediate policy shift, as Sheikh Tamim has cemented his own tenure since 2013. The official mourning period is under way, with the state apparatus moving smoothly under the son whose succession the father deliberately engineered a generation ago.