Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Nawaf dies aged 86

His three-year term was marked by repeated political conflicts at the head of this oil-rich Gulf country.

The Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, died on Saturday December 16 at the age of 86, announced the Emir’s palace, after a three-year mandate marked by repeated political conflicts at the head of this oil-rich Gulf country. Sheikh Nawaf was named crown prince in 2006 by his half-brother, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, and took over as emir upon his death, aged 91, in September 2020.

In November, Sheikh Nawaf was admitted to hospital “due to an urgent health problem”, according to the official Kuna news agency, which did not give details of his illness. He was later listed in stable condition. Given his age, his health was often a concern during his tenure.

A country in crisis

A rich oil state in the Gulf, Kuwait has been plunged for several years into a deep crisis between the executive and legislative powers which is undermining hopes of reforms. The current crown prince, Mechaal al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, half-brother of the emir, is 83 years old, and the question that now arises is whether the princely family will choose a leader younger.

Kuwait, a conservative country where sovereign powers remain concentrated in the hands of the ruling al-Sabah family, is nevertheless home to the most active and powerful Parliament in the Gulf.