A message of condolences on a giant screen after the death of the Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, on December 16, 2023 in Kuwait (AFP/Yasser Al-Zayyat)
Kuwait’s Crown Prince Sheikh Meshaal al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, 83, was named the country’s new emir on Saturday following the death of his predecessor, amid divisions in the oil-rich Gulf state. .
“The Kuwaiti cabinet appoints Crown Prince His Highness Sheikh Meshaal as Emir of the State of Kuwait,” state television announced. He becomes the 17th sovereign of the country.
The royal palace had earlier announced the death, at the age of 86, of his half-brother, Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, after three years in power marked by repeated political crises.
“The smooth succession process (…) testifies to the maturity of the Kuwaiti political system,” Abdullah Al Chayji, professor of political science at Kuwait University, said on social networks.
The new emir, named crown prince in 2020, has spent most of his career in the field of security and intelligence. He notably held the post of Minister of the Interior.
The Crown Prince of Kuwait, Sheikh Meshaal al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, on October 31, 2023 in Kuwait (AFP/Yasser Al-Zayyat)
He has largely stayed away from the political scene and from the dissensions within the ruling Al-Sabah family, some members of which accuse each other of corruption or conspiracy.
This father of 12 children will soon be sworn in before Parliament.
– “True friend” –
Following the death of the Emir, administrations will be closed for three days and 40 days of mourning have been declared.
The new emir will have one year to appoint a new crown prince, who should come from the new generation of the ruling family.
According to the Constitution, the ruler must be a descendant of the nation’s founder, Mubarak Al-Sabah. But a tradition of alternation between the Salem and Jaber family branches has long been observed.
A former emir, Sheikh Sabah, of the Jaber branch, put an end to this tradition by appointing as crown prince Sheikh Nawaf, another Jaber, effectively ruling out the Salem branch.
Several heads of state sent their condolences to Kuwait, saluting the memory of the Emir.
“Sheikh Nawaf was a valued partner and true friend of the United States for decades,” said US President Joe Biden, according to a White House statement.
French President Emmanuel Macron said that with his death, the Kuwaiti nation lost “a great leader, respected for the values of peace and moderation that he embodied.”
The head of European diplomacy Josep Borrell described him as someone who “worked for regional stability”.
Kuwait has been plunged for several years into a deep crisis between the executive and legislative powers.
At the beginning of April, the small monarchy had formed its seventh government in three years. A few days later, Sheikh Nawaf dissolved Parliament and called new legislative elections.
– Reforms in slow motion –
With some of the largest oil reserves in the world, Kuwait is an extremely rich state where instability has slowed down reforms and the development of infrastructure, like those underway in its neighbors, first and foremost Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
The 4.5 million inhabitants, including 1.3 million Kuwaitis, regularly complain about the deterioration of infrastructure and public services.
Sheikh Nawaf died after being admitted to hospital in November “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.
Sheikh Nawaf was named crown prince in 2006 by his half-brother, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, and took over as emir upon the latter’s death in September 2020.
The new emir, for his part, went abroad in 2006 and underwent a “successful operation”, the details of which were not disclosed.
© 2023 AFP
Did you like this article ? Share it with your friends using the buttons below.
