Kuwait’s ruling emir, 86-year-old Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah, has died, state television reported Saturday.
Kuwaiti TV broke into the program with verses from the Quran just before making the announcement.
In late November, Sheikh Nawaf was rushed to hospital due to an undisclosed illness.
Since then, the small oil-rich nation has been waiting for news of his health.
State-owned news previously reported that he traveled to the United States for an unspecified medical examination in March 2021.
The health of Kuwait’s leader remains a sensitive issue in the Middle Eastern country bordering Iraq and Saudi Arabia, which is witnessing an internal power struggle 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 ruling emir of oil-rich Kuwait was hospitalized on Wednesday, November 29, 2023, “due to an emergency health problem” but was later in a stable condition, the state-run KUNA news agency reported. AP
The breadth and depth of emotion over the loss of Sheikh Sabah, known for his diplomacy and peacemaking, was felt across the region.
Sheikh Nawaf previously served as Kuwait’s interior and defense minister but was not seen as active in government outside of that period.
However, he was a largely uncontroversial choice for emir, although his advancing age led analysts to suggest his tenure would be short.
Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah (C), Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah (L), and Parliament Speaker Jasem al-Khorafi (R) attend a military parade in Kuwait City on March 7 2007. AFP via Getty Images
Sheikh Meshal Al Ahmad Al Jaber, now 83 years old, is believed to be the oldest crown prince in the world. He is in line to take over as ruler of Kuwait.
Kuwait, a country of about 4.2 million people slightly smaller than the US state of New Jersey, has the sixth largest oil reserves in the world.
It has been a staunch ally of the US since the 1991 Gulf War that drove out Iraqi forces occupying Saddam Hussein.
Kuwait hosts about 13,500 American troops in the country, as well as the US Army’s forward headquarters in the Middle East.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
