The ruling emir of Kuwait is dead. Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah died today at the age of 86, said a palace statement broadcast on Kuwaiti state television.
State television interrupted regular programming and broadcast recited verses from the Quran. According to state news agency KUNA, Sheikh Nawaf was admitted to hospital in November due to an “emergency”.
APA/AFP/Yasser Al-Zayyat
Sheikh Nawaf was named crown prince in 2016 by his half-brother Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, then the ruler. He took office in September 2020, following the death of his half-brother. After taking office, he led the country through an economic crisis caused by the collapse of oil prices.
Succession issue still open
The current crown prince, Sheikh Mischal al-Ahmad al-Sabah, is also the half-brother of the now deceased Sheikh. The question now is whether a member of a younger generation will be brought to power.
In Kuwait, power is largely in the hands of the Sabah ruling family. In 1962, the country was the first Gulf Arab state to introduce a parliamentary system; popular representation in the country is more powerful than in any other Gulf state.