Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, the Emir of Kuwait, passed away on 29 September 2020 at the age of 86. He was the 15th ruler of Kuwait since its independence in 1961. He had been in office since 2006, when he succeeded his half-brother, Sheikh Saad al-Abdullah al-Salem al-Sabah, who was incapacitated by a stroke. He was the head of the Al-Sabah family, Kuwait’s ruling house, and the commander-in-chief of the Kuwaiti Armed Forces.
In response to the death of Sheikh Nawab, the Kuwaiti government declared three days of mourning and flags throughout the country are to be flown at half-mast. The government also announced a 40-day period of mourning in a statement that read: “In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful … We announce the death of the Amir, Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, and ask God to bless him in his resting place”.
The Kuwaiti National Assembly has already approved Sheikh Nawaf’s eldest son Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Sabah, as the successor of Sheikh Nawaf. He will succeed his father as the Emir of Kuwait.
