Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah (Photo: AFP/Jaber Abdulkhaleg)
Eurasia
17/12/2023 18:09
Authorities gave no cause of death, but announced the start of a 40-day official mourning period and a three-day closure of government departments.
Kuwait’s crown prince and his half-brother, Sheikh Meshaal al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, 83, was subsequently named new emir, a statement from Issa Al-Kandari, the deputy prime minister and minister of state for cabinet affairs said.
Sheikh Nawaf was sworn in in September 2020 after the death of his half-brother, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, in the United States at the age of 91.
“This is a very sad day for Kuwait. The sheikh has only done good for the country. His legacy will be remembered fondly,” Bader al-Saif, a history professor at Kuwait University, told Al Jazeera. “His era is notable even though it is the third shortest in Kuwaiti history.”
Emir Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah has been laid to rest in a private funeral attended by select relatives, according to Al Jazeera. State television on Sunday showed a prayer ceremony at Bilal bin Rabah mosque in the capital Kuwait City and a funeral procession to the Sulaibikhat cemetery for the emir, which were limited in attendance to the ruling family.
Ramadan affects more than 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide and is considered a month of fasting and spirituality. It is believed to be the month in which the Quran was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad.
China firmly supports internal reconciliation among the different Palestinian factions through dialogue as part of Beijing's measures to promote an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, said Foreign Minister Wang Yi, according to China Daily.