Kuwait’s ruling emir is dead. Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah died on Saturday at the age of 86, according to a palace statement broadcast by Kuwaiti state television.
Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah ruled the oil-rich Gulf state for three years; he was sworn in in September 2020 following the death of his half-brother.
In November due to an “emergency” in the hospital
The ruling family’s statement said the announcement of the death came with “great sadness and pain.” State television interrupted regular programming and broadcast recited verses from the Koran. According to state news agency Kuna, Sheikh Nawaf was hospitalized in November due to an “emergency”.
Sheikh Nawaf was appointed crown prince in 2016 by his then ruling half-brother Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. After taking office in September 2020, he led the country through an economic crisis caused by the collapse of oil prices. The previous crown prince and now Emir Sheikh Mishal al-Ahmad al-Sabah is also a half-brother of the now deceased Sheikh. He turned 83 years old on September 27. The question now is whether a member of a younger generation will come to power.
In Kuwait, power lies largely in the hands of the ruling Sabah family. In 1962, the country was the first Arab Gulf state to introduce a parliamentary system; the parliament in the country is more powerful than in any other Gulf state. Kuwaiti women have had the right to vote and stand for election since 2005. Recently, however, political disputes between elected representatives and palace-appointed ministers have led to political turbulence that has also deterred foreign investors.
Source: Krone
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