Kuwait’s ruling Emir, Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah, dies at age 86

Kuwait’s ruling Emir, Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah, dies at age 86

mangaloretoday.com/news18

Kuwait, Dec 16, 2023: Kuwait’s ruling emir, Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah, has passed away at the age of 86. The announcement was made on state television, which broke into programming with Quranic verses.

 

In late November, Sheikh Nawaf was hospitalized due to an unspecified illness. Since then, people in the oil-rich nation have been waiting anxiously for an update on his condition. He also travelled to the United States for unspecified medical checks in March 2021.

Following the death of his predecessor and half-brother Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah in 2020, Sheikh Nawaf was sworn in as the new emir.

WHO WILL BE THE NEXT SUCCESSOR?

Sheikh Meshal Al Ahmad Al Jaber is likely believed to be the world’s oldest crown prince and is in line to take over as Kuwait’s ruler.

However, the future for the royal family remains uncertain with bitter divisions within the Sabah family and accusation of corruption and political conspiracies lodged by some members against rivals.

Kuwait’s constitution requires that the ruler must be a descendant of the nation’s founder, Mubarak Al-Sabah. Traditionally, the throne has alternated between the Salem and Jaber branches of the family.

But that pattern has been broken this decade, with Sheik Sabah, Sheikh Nawaf and the heir-apparent Sheikh Mishal all from the Jaber clan.

SHEIKH NAWAF AS LEADER

Sheikh Nawaf previously held the positions of interior and defence minister during Iraq’s invasion in 1990, but he was not regarded as particularly active in government beyond those terms.

After the US-led international force liberated the country, he was appointed minister of social affairs but excluded from the government formed after the first post-war election in 1992.

Sheikh Nawaf returned as deputy commander of the national guard in 1994 and in 2003 became interior minister again.

On becoming emir, Sheikh Nawaf had to steer the economy through a crisis caused by a fall in oil prices that saw Kuwait’s credit rating cut by international agencies in 2020.

He acknowledged the “serious” challenges in his inauguration speech and the government spent heavily — doubling public debt in 18 months — to guide the state through the Covid-19 pandemic.