Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani received dozens of world leaders and heads of government at Lusail Palace on Monday and Tuesday, offering condolences on the death of his father, former Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who died Sunday at age 74.
Visiting dignitaries included Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Swiss Vice President Ignazio Cassis, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, Rwandan President Paul Kagame, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino. Gulf royals and senior delegations from Kuwait, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia also traveled to Doha. US President Donald Trump expressed condolences by phone to Sheikh Tamim on Tuesday.
Sheikh Hamad was buried at Lusail Cemetery on Sunday evening following funeral prayers at the Imam Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab Mosque. The Amiri Diwan declared a four-day mourning period with flags at half-mast and suspended public sector work through July 18. Sheikh Hamad, who ruled from 1995 to 2013, oversaw the expansion of Qatar's LNG industry and secured the 2022 FIFA World Cup before voluntarily ceding power to his son.