Former Qatari Emir Passes Away, JK Pays Condolences and Joins Funeral Prayer

Former Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla has expressed his condolences on the passing of former Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who died on Sunday, 12 July 2026. Kalla conveyed his sympathies during a visit to the Qatari Embassy’s representative office in the Kuningan area of South Jakarta on Tuesday, 14 July 2026. During the visit, Jusuf Kalla expressed a sense of loss and offered prayers for Hamad. ‘I express my deepest condolences on the passing of His Highness Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. May Allah grant him a high place in His presence,’ Kalla said in a statement. In addition to conveying his condolences, Kalla also participated in a funeral prayer in absentia at Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta. The prayer was attended by Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka, Minister of Religious Affairs Nasaruddin Umar, Qatari Ambassador to Indonesia Sultan bin Mubarak Saad Al Dosari, and several ambassadors from other friendly Muslim nations. The series of prayers, held concurrently with the midday prayer at Istiqlal Mosque, was led by Ustaz Husni Ismail as the imam. Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani passed away at the age of 74. He was a member of the royal family who served as Emir of Qatar from 1995 to 2013. Born in 1952 into the Al Thani family, which has ruled Qatar since the mid-19th century, Hamad studied at the British military academy Sandhurst and served as commander of the Qatari army and minister of defence before becoming emir. In the late 1970s, he was named crown prince, heir to his father Khalifa bin Hamad Al Thani. In 1995, Hamad carried out a bloodless coup to seize the position of emir while his father was abroad. During his tenure, Qatar enacted its first permanent constitution in 2004. His administration introduced municipal elections, which also allowed women to vote and stand as candidates. Hamad abdicated in 2013, handing over the position of emir to his son, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who was 33 years old at the time and remains in power today.