The health of Kuwait’s leaders remains a sensitive matter in the Middle Eastern nation, which has seen internal power struggles behind palace doors.
Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Kuwait’s ruling emir, died on Saturday after a three-year, low-key reign focused on trying to resolve the tiny, oil-rich nation’s internal political disputes. He was 86.
Kuwait state television broke into programming with Quranic verses just before a somber official made the announcement.
„With great sadness and sorrow, we — the Kuwaiti people, the Arab and Islamic nations, and the friendly peoples of the world — mourn the late His Highness the emir, Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, who passed away to his Lord today,“ said Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah Al Sabah, the minister of his emiri court, who read the brief statement.
Authorities gave no cause of death.
President Biden said in a statement that he was saddened by the death.
„Sheikh Nawaf was a valued partner and true friend of the United States throughout his decades of service,“ Biden said.
„We honor his life and the vision we shared for greater peace and stability across the Middle East,“ Mr. Biden went on. „We will continue to strengthen the longstanding ties between the governments and people of the United States and Kuwait as we pursue that future together.“
Kuwait’s deputy ruler and his half-brother, Sheikh Meshal Al Ahmad Al Jaber, now 83, had been the world’s oldest crown prince. The state-run KUNA news agency said Sheikh Meshal, a longtime leader in the country’s security services, had been named emir Saturday afternoon and now is one of the Gulf Arab countries‘ last octogenarian leaders.
In late November, Sheikh Nawaf was rushed to a hospital for an unspecified illness. In the time since, Kuwait had been waiting for news about his health. State-run news previously reported that he traveled to the U.S. for unspecified medical checks in March 2021.
The health of Kuwait’s leaders remains a sensitive matter in the Middle Eastern nation bordering Iraq and Saudi Arabia, which has seen internal power struggles behind palace doors.
