Mourners gather for prayers after the announcement of the death of Qatar's former leader Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani at the Imam Mohammed ibn Abd al-Wahhab Mosque in Doha on July 12, 2026 [Mahmud Hams/AFP]By Al Jazeera StaffPublished On 12 Jul 202612 Jul 2026
Funeral prayers have been held for the Father Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, following his death at the age of 74.
Funerary prayers for Sheikh Hamad, who ruled Qatar from 1995 to 2013, followed the daily Maghrib evening prayer after sunset on Sunday at the Imam Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab Mosque in Doha.
Rows of men wearing traditional Qatari dress stood with their hands clasped in front of them during the prayer, facing the shrouded body of Sheikh Hamad. Afterwards, close family members, including his son and successor as emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, carried his body out of the mosque.
Al Jazeera’s Zein Basravi said the ceremony was “a humble event” and Sheikh Hamad would be “buried in a simple grave”.
“This will be a simple Islamic funeral ceremony, a simple Islamic burial,” Basravi said.
During official mourning, which lasts until Wednesday, Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim will receive visiting heads of state, dignitaries and members of the royal family at Lusail Palace.
