Senegalese President Arrives in Doha to Offer Condolences on Passing of the Late Father Amir

President of the Republic of Senegal Bassirou Diomaye Faye and his accompanying delegation arrived in Doha on Tuesday evening to offer condolences on the passing of Qatar's Late Father Amir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who died Sunday at the age of 74.
The Senegalese leader's arrival adds to a remarkable procession of heads of state and government converging on the Qatari capital, where Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has been receiving mourners at Lusail Palace over three days, from Monday through Wednesday, alongside members of the ruling family, ministers, dignitaries, ambassadors, and Qatari citizens.

Africa Strongly Represented Among Mourners

President Faye's visit came the same day as the arrival of Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, who was received at Hamad International Airport by Qatar's Minister of Transport, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Thani, and Somalia's ambassador to Qatar. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi also arrived Tuesday, with Sheikh Tamim expressing deep appreciation for his visit and underscoring the close fraternal ties between Egypt and Qatar. Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed had earlier offered their condolences at the palace, while Morocco's Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch and Libya's leadership were likewise among the mourners.

A Global Gathering in Doha

Beyond Africa, the wave of visiting leaders has included Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu, Iraqi President Nizar Amidi, Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani, Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Kuwait's Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Swiss Vice President Ignazio Cassis, and FIFA President Gianni Infantino.
Sheikh Tamim also received a phone call on Tuesday from US President Donald Trump, who expressed his condolences and sympathy, according to the Amiri Diwan, while Saudi Arabia's King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman conveyed their condolences through a high-level delegation and a personal phone call.

Qatar-Senegal Ties

President Faye's in-person visit reflects the warm relationship between Qatar and Senegal, which spans cooperation in investment, development, and diplomacy. Qatar has been an active economic partner in West Africa, and the two countries have maintained regular high-level exchanges — making the Senegalese leader's presence in Doha a further signal of the esteem in which the late Father Amir was held across the African continent.

Sheikh Hamad's Legacy

Sheikh Hamad ruled Qatar from 1995 until voluntarily handing power to his son Sheikh Tamim in 2013, becoming one of the few Gulf leaders to oversee a peaceful transfer of power during his lifetime. He is widely credited as the architect of modern Qatar, having transformed the country into one of the world's leading liquefied natural gas exporters, founded Al Jazeera in 1996, and secured Qatar's successful bid to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Qatar's Amiri Diwan declared four days of public mourning beginning Sunday, July 12, with flags flown at half-mast nationwide.