Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah, Emir of Kuwait, died after being rushed to hospital for an unspecified illness in late November.
Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah, 86, has died after three years of a quiet reign during which he worked to resolve the small, oil-rich country’s internal political disputes .
Kuwait’s state television began broadcasting verses from the Quran just before an official made the announcement.
“It is with great sadness that we – the Kuwaiti people, the Arab and Islamic nations and the friendly peoples of the world – mourn the late His Highness the Amir, Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, who passed away to his Lord today,” said Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah Al Sabah, minister of the UAE court, who read the brief statement.
Authorities have not said the cause of death.
The deputy ruler of Kuwait and his half-brother, Sheikh Meshal Al Ahmad Al Jaber, now 83 years old, is considered the oldest crown prince in the world. He is in the running to lead Kuwait and represents one of the last octogenarian leaders of the Gulf countries.
In late November, Sheikh Nawaf was rushed to hospital for an unspecified illness. Since then, Kuwait has been waiting for news on his state of health. State media previously reported that he had traveled to the United States for unspecified medical examinations in March 2021.
The health of Kuwait’s leaders remains a sensitive subject in this Middle Eastern country, also bordering Iraq and Saudi Arabia, which has experienced internal power struggles behind the doors of its palace.
The leaders of Sheikh Nawaf’s era, born before oil transformed Kuwait from a commercial hub into an oil state, have faded with age. This, along with other Gulf Arab countries putting younger, more confident leaders in power, has increased pressure on the Al Sabah to pass power to the next generation.
Sheikh Nawaf was sworn in as Emir following the death in 2020 of his predecessor, the late Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah.
He served as Kuwait’s Minister of Interior and Defense, but was not considered particularly active in government outside of these roles. However, his nomination to become emir was not controversial, although his advanced age led analysts to believe that his tenure would be short-lived. This was the case – Sheikh Nawaf had the third shortest tenure of any emir since the Al-Sabah ruled Kuwait since 1752.