KUWAIT (Reuters) — Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah died on Saturday, aged 86, according to the royal court, just over three years after assuming power in the U.S.-allied Gulf oil producer.
The cause of his death was not immediately disclosed. The emir was admitted to hospital late last month due to what the state news agency described at the time as an emergency health problem but said that he was in a stable condition.
Crown Prince Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Sabah, 83, who has been Kuwait’s de facto ruler since 2021, when the frail emir handed over most his duties, was named as Sheikh Nawaf’s successor.
Kuwait announced 40 days of mourning and a three day closure of official departments. World leaders paid tribute to Sheikh Nawaf and offered their condolences to his successor, Sheikh Meshal, the Al Sabah family and the people of Kuwait.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said in a statement on social media platform X that he was saddened to hear of the passing of Sheikh Nawaf, who he described as a great friend of the United Kingdom that would be remembered fondly.
Emirati President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed wrote on X that Sheikh Nawaf had been a wise leader who played a major role in strengthening Kuwait-UAE relations.
Sheikh Nawaf became emir in September 2020 following the death of his brother, Sheikh Sabah, who had ruled for more than a decade and shaped the state’s foreign policy for over 50 years.
Sheikh Nawaf was seen by diplomats as a consensus builder even though his reign was marked by an intense standoff between the government and elected parliament, which had hindered key structural reforms in the oil rich Gulf state. In recent months, consensus returned between the government and the parliament.
Kuwait, holder of the world’s seventh-largest oil reserves, borders Saudi Arabia and Iraq, and lies across the Gulf from Iran. It was invaded and occupied by Iraq in 1990, sparking the first Gulf war several months later in 1991 when the United States and other nations defeated Iraq and liberated Kuwait.
