Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who ruled Qatar from 1995 until his abdication in 2013, died on 12 July at the age of 74, the Amiri Diwan announced. His passing marks the end of an era for the Gulf state, which under his leadership transformed from a modest gas-rich peninsula into a global diplomatic and media power. The official mourning period has drawn a cascade of condolences from heads of state and foreign ministers across the Middle East and Asia, reflecting the breadth of the alliances he forged.

In Jakarta, President Prabowo Subianto personally visited the Qatari embassy to sign a book of condolence, writing a message that, according to Indonesian officials, acknowledged the late emir’s role in deepening bilateral ties. Foreign Minister Sugiono, speaking to reporters, described Sheikh Hamad as a leader who “made Qatar a very influential country” and credited him with building the close relationship now continued by his son, Emir Tamim. From the Gulf, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah travelled to Doha to offer condolences at Lusail Palace, while Lebanese President Joseph Aoun also made the journey, recalling Sheikh Hamad’s role in mediating the 2008 Doha Agreement and contributing to reconstruction after the 2006 war.

Viewed from Tehran, the former emir’s death prompted Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to announce an immediate trip to Doha, both to convey sympathy and to deliver messages to Qatar’s leadership. Palestinian officials and commentators, meanwhile, have highlighted Sheikh Hamad’s 2012 visit to Gaza—the first by an Arab head of state since the Israeli blockade began—as a defining act of solidarity. Khaled Meshaal, a senior Hamas figure, told Al Jazeera that the visit “officially announced the end of the siege in the darkest circumstances,” while analysts in the region note that the trip cemented Qatar’s role as a patron of Palestinian causes, a stance that has often placed Doha at odds with other Gulf capitals.

The condolences arrive as Doha once again hosts sensitive international diplomacy, with US-Iran talks reportedly taking place in the Qatari capital amid renewed tensions in the Strait of Hormuz. That Qatar can serve as a venue for such negotiations is widely seen, in European and regional diplomatic circles, as a direct legacy of Sheikh Hamad’s two-decade drive to position the country as an indispensable mediator. The transition of power to his son in 2013, a rare voluntary abdication in the region, ensured continuity, and the current emir now presides over the funeral rites and the reception of foreign dignitaries. With the mourning period under way, no immediate shifts in Qatari foreign policy are expected, though the tributes underscore the personal networks that Sheikh Hamad cultivated and that Doha will seek to maintain.