On December 16, Kuwait's Emir, Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah, passed away at the age of 86. His funeral took place on December 17 after a prayer service.
He was known for his long career in public service, focused on local matters.
After his death on December 16, his successor, Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Sabah, 83, took over as Kuwait’s Emir.
Kuwait has considerable oil reserves, and has a foreign policy of close ties with the U.S. and balanced relations with Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Iraq.
Sheikh Meshal had been the de facto ruler since late 2021 when Sheikh Nawaf handed over most duties.
The late emir, at 86, was seen as a consensus-builder, repairing strained relations between parliament and government, and pardoning dissidents.
The succession process involves the emir choosing a crown prince, with family consensus and parliamentary approval.
In contrast, other Gulf states like Saudi Arabia and the UAE have recently chosen their sons as successors, passing power to the next generation.
In Islam, an "emir" refers to a leader or ruler. It is a title used to denote a person in authority, often someone who leads a community, region, or country.