Renowned Qatari poet Abdullah Abdulkarim al-Hammadi passed away Saturday at the age of 71 after a struggle with illness, the Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported.
Al-Hammadi became famous for his well-known creation, 'Allah Ya Omri Qatar' (God, O My Life, Qatar), which he wrote in 1975 and was performed by Mohamed al-Saei. It is considered one of the most famous patriotic songs in Qatar.
Besides, the late al-Hammadi wrote the lyrics of many songs performed by Qatari singers.
In a statement to QNA, researcher and poet Dr Marzouq Bashir said: "The death of poet Abdullah Abdulkarim al-Hammadi, a study partner and friend, is a loss for the artistic and cultural community. He was a good writer who produced many works, but the one that he was most famous for was the song 'Allah Ya Omri Qatar,' which was sung by the late Mohamed al-Saei and composed by the late musician, Abdulaziz Nasser. I worked with him at Qatar National Radio for a long time when he was a transmission technician, and he was also my colleague in the field of theatre."
Dr Bashir attributed the success of the song 'Allah Ya Omri Qatar' to the simplicity of its wording, besides being a sincere expression of people's love for their country.
He described it as "the people's song today", chanted in schools and on all occasions. He praised the late poet's virtues, describing his personality as humble, generous, peaceful and loving towards everyone.
