The Kuwaiti Amiri Diwan announced today the death of the Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, at the age of 91.
Last July, the Amiri Diwan had announced that the late Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah had performed a successful operation.
The deceased Emir is the fifth ruler of Kuwait after its independence in 1961, and he assumed the reins of power in 2006 after spending 4 decades as Minister of Foreign Affairs, before heading the government in 2003, and he will remain in the position until his inauguration as Emir.
A few days ago, US President Donald Trump awarded the Order of Military Merit with the rank of Commander in Chief to Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, during a ceremony at the White House.
The Kuwaiti Amiri Diwan said that this honor comes in recognition of the great and tireless efforts and the great role that the Emir of Kuwait has led in the region and the world, and a culmination of the historic and distinguished partnership relations between Kuwait and the United States.
This position, which Sheikh Sabah assumed, is due to his work as Minister of Foreign Affairs for nearly 40 years, which enabled him to play a major role in Kuwait's policies internally and externally.
Sheikh Sabah also contributed to mending the rift through several crises, most notably the Yemeni crisis and the Iran-Iraq war, which enriched his personal experience and made him an acceptable mediator for all parties.
This mediation continued after Sheikh Sabah took power in 2006, until he was named leader of humanitarian work by the United Nations in 2014, a position that no one had preceded in recognition of his humanitarian efforts at all levels.
The late Emir also led mediation to resolve the Gulf crisis that began on June 5, 2017, when Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt severed their relations with Qatar and imposed a blockade on it.