Emir of Kuwait passes away, breathed his last at the age of 86

Kuwait’s ruling Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmed Al Sabah, 86, died on Saturday. Kuwait state television began programming with verses from the Quran just before the official made the announcement. Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah Al Sabah, Minister of His Emirati Court, said in a brief statement that with great sadness and grief we – the Kuwaiti people, the Arab and Islamic nations and the friendly people of the world – honor the late His Highness the Emir, Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah. We express our condolences to the departed soul who passed away to be with his Lord.

The Deputy Ruler of Kuwait and his half-brother, Sheikh Meshaal Al Ahmed Al Jaber, are considered the world’s oldest princes. He is in line to take over as the ruler of Kuwait. In late November Sheikh Nawaf was taken to hospital due to an undisclosed illness. State-run news previously reported that he had traveled to the United States in March 2021 for an unspecified medical checkup.

The health of Kuwait’s leaders remains a sensitive matter in the Middle Eastern country bordering Iraq and Saudi Arabia, which has seen internal power struggles behind palace doors. Sheikh Nawaf was sworn in as Emir following the death of his predecessor, the late Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah in 2020. The breadth and depth of emotion at the demise of Sheikh Sabah, known for his diplomacy and peacemaking, was felt across the region.