The emir of Kuwait, Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah, 86, died this Saturday after several weeks in hospital, according to Kuwaiti television. The late sheikh was appointed crown prince in 2006 and in 2020 he succeeded Emir Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Yaber Al-Sabah.
In late November, Nawaf was rushed to hospital for an unspecified illness. Since then, the small oil-rich nation had been waiting for news about his health. State news previously reported that he traveled to the United States for unspecified medical checks in March 2021.
The health of Kuwait’s leaders remains a sensitive issue in the Middle Eastern nation bordering Iraq and Saudi Arabia, which has seen internal power struggles behind palace doors.
Nawaf was sworn in as emir following the death in 2020 of his predecessor, the late Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah. He previously served as Kuwait’s interior and defense minister, but was not considered particularly active in government outside of those terms. However, it was largely an uncontroversial choice for emir, although his advanced age led analysts to suggest that his tenure would be short.
Sheikh Meshal Al Ahmad Al Jaber, now 83, is believed to be the world’s oldest crown prince. He is on track to take over as ruler of Kuwait.
This country of 4.2 million inhabitants has the sixth largest known oil reserves in the world. It has been a staunch ally of the United States since the 1991 Gulf War drove out Saddam Hussein’s Iraqi occupation forces. Kuwait is home to about 13,500 U.S. troops in the country, as well as the U.S. military’s forward headquarters in the Middle East.
