DEVELOPING STORYDEVELOPING STORY,
In November, the Kuwaiti leader was admitted to hospital following an emergency health issue, according to state news agency KUNA.
Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah has died at 86.
“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,” Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah Al Sabah, the minister of his emiri court, said a statement aired on state television on Saturday.
Authorities gave no cause of death.
Sheikh Nawaf was sworn in in September 2020 after the death of his half-brother, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, in the United States at the age of 91.
Kuwait’s deputy ruler and his half-brother, Sheikh Meshal Al Ahmad Al Jaber, now 83, is believed to be in line to take over as ruler, although no official announcement has yet been made.
Sheikh Nawaf held high office for decades before he took power. Named heir apparent in 2006, he was serving as defence minister when Iraqi troops invaded the oil-rich emirate in 1990. He also worked as interior minister in the face of challenges from armed groups.
Popular within the ruling al-Sabah family, he had a reputation for modesty, and largely maintained a low profile.
In late November, Sheikh Nawaf was rushed to hospital for an unspecified illness, the state news agency KUNA reported. In the time since, the tiny, oil-rich nation had been waiting for news about his health.
While the report did not elaborate on the health issue, Sheikh Nawaf has handed over power several times during his rule to his deputy while facing medical checks and other issues. State-run media had previously reported that he travelled to the United States for unspecified medical checks in March 2021.
More to come …
