Kuwaiti Amir Sheikh Nawaf dies aged 86

AFP | Kuwait City                                                       

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

The Amir of oil-rich Kuwait, His Highness Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah, died on Saturday, the royal court said, after three years in power. He was 86.

"With great sadness and sorrow, we mourn... the death of Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Amir of the State of Kuwait," said a statement aired on Kuwaiti state television.

State television had cut its regular programming and switched to a broadcast of Quranic recital before the announcement.

In November, HH Sheikh Nawaf was admitted to the hospital "due to an emergency health problem", according to the official KUNA news agency, which did not elaborate on his illness. He was later declared in stable condition.

Given his age, his health has commonly been a concern during his term.

HH Sheikh Nawaf was named crown prince in 2006 by his half-brother HH Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah and took over as Amir when HH Sheikh Sabah died in September 2020 at the age of 91.

He had to steer the economy through a crisis caused by a fall in oil prices in 2020.

The current crown prince, HH Sheikh Mishal al-Ahmad al-Sabah, another half-brother, is 83 and much attention will now be focused on whether a younger generation ruler is brought in by the family.

Kuwait is home to the most active and powerful parliament in the Gulf.

But repeated standoffs between elected lawmakers and cabinet ministers installed by the ruling family have stymied development efforts and scared off investors.

Following a succession of resigning governments and dissolved parliaments, Kuwait's current cabinet is its fifth in a year.

The political deadlock has delayed necessary reforms and blocked development projects, leaving infrastructure and education in disrepair and much of the population disgruntled.

Born in 1937, HH Sheikh Nawaf was the fifth son of Kuwait's late ruler from 1921 to 1950 HH Sheikh Ahmad al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

He started his political career at the age of 25 as governor of Hawalli province, where he remained until 1978 when he started a decade as interior minister.