Qatar's Father Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani dies; Qatar Stock Exchange shut until 19 July

Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Qatar's former ruler and Father Emir, who governed the country from 1995 to 2013, died on Sunday, 12 July 2026, at the age of 74. Qatar's Amiri Diwan declared a four-day period of national mourning, and the Qatar Stock Exchange suspended trading from Monday, 13 July, saying it would resume on Sunday, 19 July. The closure coincides with a slide in Persian Gulf bourses amid intensifying US-Iran tensions. Sheikh Hamad is remembered as a principal architect of Qatar's economic development and its rise into one of the world's wealthiest nations.