World leaders mourn as Kuwaiti Amir passes away
An octogenarian Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmed Al Sabah has been appointed new Amir of Kuwait.
Nawaf is considered a reluctant ruler who tries to keep a low public profile, so he is expected to delegate much power to his heir apparent, the next crown prince. Several members of the royal family are jockeying for the position, and whoever is ultimately appointed to serve as Nawaf’s second-in-command could have outsized influence in the country.
When the Kuwaiti ruler Amir Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah was admitted to hospital for medical checks ups the then Crown Prince but now new Amir Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmed Al Sabah was temporarily given some of the Amir’s constitutional duties on July 18, 2020.
Sheikh Nawaf was sworn in as Crown prince in 2006 after Sheikh Sabah was appointed Amir.
Sheikh Nawaf was the Amir’s half-brother, and held previously the position of Minister of Defence and the Minister of Interior.
After the 1990 invasion of Iraq, Sheikh Nawaf assumed the post of Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, which he held until 1992. Between 1994 and 2003, Sheikh Nawaf was appointed the deputy chief of the National Guard.
Sheikh Nawaf played a key role in maintaining the stability and security of the Gulf and played an active role in the meetings of the interior ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), with the aim to joining forces against common threats.
Before appointed Amir of Kuwait today, Sheikh Nawaf was the oldest Crown Prince in the world.
Kuwait Amir passes away
The Amir of Kuwait, His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, has passed away on Tuesday after almost 15 years at the country’s helm.
“With great sadness and sorrow, we mourn to the Kuwaiti people, the Arab and Islamic nations, and the friendly peoples of the world, the death of the late His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the Amir of the State of Kuwait,” the Kuwaiti Amiri Diwan said in a statement.
The Amir had been unwell for some time, and had frequently travelled abroad for treatment. Earlier this month, he had returned from the US following a surgery for an undisclosed condition.
Prior to becoming leader in 2006, Sabah spent decades as the country’s foreign minister, navigating the region’s intense geopolitical rivalries during some of its most turbulent episodes.
Notably, Sabah served as foreign minister just prior to Iraq’s invasion and occupation of the country in 1990. After the conclusion of the subsequent Gulf War, Sabah was instrumental in restoring Kuwait’s international standing, adopting a nonaligned approach to foreign policy that made it a go-between for many of the Gulf’s key players.
World leaders mourn
Meanwhile, international leaders from across the world mourned the loss of one of the Middle East’s most respected statesmen of the 91-year old Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmed Al Sabah.
The State of Kuwait declared an official mourning for a period of 40 days and the closure of all government offices for a period of 3 days from Tuesday.
