Manama: Kuwait Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, a savvy diplomat and a humanitarian champion, died on Tuesday. He was 91.
An official statement read on state television announced his death. The Emir had been in hospital in the US since July. In an exceptional Parliament session on Tuesday, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior and Anas Al Saleh said that Emir passed away at 4.00 am in the United States.
The Emir had undergone surgery on July 19 in Kuwait. Afterward, on July 23, he was flown to the United States for medical treatment, according to the official news agency, KUNA.
The Emir's body will arrive in Kuwait on Wednesday, state TV reported citing the Amiri Diwan (royal court).
The country declared an official mourning for a period of 40 days and ministries and government agencies will suspend work for three days from Tuesday.
Sheikh Sabah had ruled the tiny oil-rich country since 2006 and steered its foreign policy for more than 50 years.
His 83-year-old half-brother, Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, was appointed as his successor. He will be sworn in as Amir of Kuwait on Wednesday at 11am.
Sheikh Sabah was sworn into the role of Kuwait’s Emir (ruler) on January 29, 2006 following the death of his half-brother and then Emir Sheikh Jaber al-Sabah. Before his accession to power, Sheikh Sabah was Kuwait’s foreign minister for a long forty years, while also serving as Deputy Prime Minister. He became Kuwait's foreign minister in 1963 and held the position until 1991, following the end of the seven-month-long Iraqi occupation. Sheikh Sabah was reappointed foreign minister in 1992 and served until 2003, when he was named prime minister by then Emir.
Sheikh Sabah was the architect and often the embodiment of that independent, non-aligned foreign policy. With 40 years of experience in international affairs, Sheikh Sabah quickly positioned Kuwait as a go-between in several regional disputes. He leaves behind his legacy as a key mediator of regional disputes including the ongoing diplomatic stand-off between Qatar and other three gulf countries. He went on a regional tour to visit the countries involved to try to defuse the conflict. Similarly, it refrained from intervening in Syria's civil war. He was a leading philanthropist in the Middle East and beyond and popularly called the “father of humanity,” for his humanitarian efforts around the world.
Condolences poured in from across the Arab world, and several countries in the wider region announced mourning periods.
The funeral of Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah will be restricted to his relatives, the Amiri Diwan announced on Tuesday. Minister of Diwan Sheikh Ali Jarrah Al-Sabah said the restriction of the funeral service was in line with health safety measures.
