Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Sabah dies at age 86

Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad 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, Emir 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, 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.

The 86-year-old ascended the throne in September 2020 after the death of his half-brother, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

Prior to his appointment as emir, Sheikh Nawaf had been Kuwait’s crown prince since 2006, when he was appointed by the late Sheikh Sabah.

Sheikh Nawaf had previously served Kuwait for over 50 years in various positions.

From 1994 until 2003, Sheikh Nawaf was deputy chief of the Kuwaiti National Guard. That year, he was appointed Minister of Interior and the first Deputy Prime Minister of Kuwait.

Under Kuwait’s constitution, succession of the emir and crown prince positions are traditionally limited to only the descendants of Mubarak al-Sabah.

Sheikh Mishal al-Ahmad al-Jaber Al-Sabah is the current Crown Prince of Kuwait.

Kuwait has yet to officially announce the successor of the emir following Sheikh Nawaf’s death.