Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Sabah dies at 91

Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al Sabah, who was receiving treatment in the United States, has passed away at the age of 91, his office announces.

“With the utmost sadness and grief for the Kuwaiti people, the Islamic and Arab world and people of friendly nations, the Emiri Diwan mourns the death of Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber Al Sabah, the emir of Kuwait,” his office said in a statement read out on state TV.

Prior to the announcement, the television unexpectedly interrupted its broadcast and started to air Qur’an recitation, which is usually the sign of the death of a senior member of the ruling family.

He had been in hospital in the United States since July, when he underwent surgery for an unspecified condition in Kuwait,

Sheikh Sabah had ruled the country since 2006. He had also acted as the architect of the kingdom’s foreign policy for more than half a century in his capacity as foreign minister.

His designated successor is his brother, Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah.

SS