Mumbai, July 14: The Indian Ministry of External Affairs has announced a day of national mourning following the death of Qatar’s former Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who passed away at the age of 74 on July 12. Sheikh Hamad served as the Emir of Qatar from 1995 until 2013 and was instrumental in the country’s rapid economic and diplomatic growth during his tenure. He transferred power to his son, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who is the current Emir. Sheikh Hamad was also known for establishing the Qatar Investment Authority, which manages over $500 billion in assets, and for leveraging Qatar’s vast natural gas and oil reserves to attract significant investments.