Kuwait's Emir Shaikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah passes away

Kuwait City

Kuwait's Emir, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah, has died at the age of 91. He was expected to be succeeded by his 83-year-old half-brother and the crown prince; Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmed reported Reuters.

It was in July, Sheikh Sabah went to the United States for medical treatment following surgery for an unspecified condition in Kuwait.

He had ruled Kuwait since 2006 and had overseen its foreign policy for more than 50 years.

He was also known as "dean of Arab diplomacy" for his efforts to restore relations with states that backed Iraq during the 1990-1991 Gulf War when Kuwait was invaded by Iraqi forces. He also played the role of a mediator in regional disputes.

Sheikh Sabah came to power in January 2006, after Emir Sheikh Saad al-Abdullah stepped down just nine days into his rule as parliament moved to depose him on health grounds.

He had been prime minister under the previous Emir, Sheikh Jaber al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, and for several years had been seen as the de facto ruler.

He had also served Kuwait as a foreign minister from 1963 to 1991 and from 1992 to 2003. Kuwait - which has a population of 4.8 million, including 3.4 million foreign workers - has the world's sixth-largest known oil reserves and is a major US ally. It has been ruled by the Sabah family for the past 260 years reported Reuters.