Kuwait: Emir Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad Al-Sabah has died at the age of 86

The Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, died on Saturday (December 16th) at the age of 86, the Emir's Palace announced, after a three-year term marked by repeated political conflicts at the head of the oil-rich Gulf country.

The Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad Al-Sabah (pictured), died on Saturday (December 16th) at the age of 86, the Emir's Palace announced. © AP - Jaber Abdulkhaleg

By: Internet Editorial Board

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With great sadness, we mourn the death of Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Emir of the State of Kuwait " said a statement broadcast on Kuwaiti state television on Saturday (December 16th). The police had previously interrupted its programmes and broadcast verses from the Koran. In November 2023, Sheikh Nawaf was admitted to hospital "due to an urgent health issue," the official Kuna news agency wrote, without giving details of his illness.

A deep crisis

Subsequently, he was declared in stable condition. Given his age, his health was often a concern during his tenure. Sheikh Nawaf was appointed crown prince in 2006 by his half-brother, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, and took over as emir upon his death in September 2020 at the age of 91. Kuwait, an oil-rich Gulf state, has been plunged into a deep crisis between the executive and legislative branches for several years that has undermined hopes for reform.

A younger leader?

The current crown prince, Meshaal al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, the emir's half-brother, is 83 years old, and the question now is whether the royal family will choose a younger ruler. Kuwait, a conservative country where sovereign power remains concentrated in the hands of the ruling Al-Sabah family, is nevertheless home to the most active and powerful parliament in the Gulf.

(With AFP)

Read alsoKuwait: new general election in an emirate in the midst of a political crisis

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