Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Kuwait’s ruling emir, has reportedly passed away.
He died on Saturday at the age of 86, according to the royal court.
Before the announcement, the channel had cut its regular programming and switched to a broadcast of a Koranic recital.
According to the official KUNA news agency, Sheikh Nawaf was hospitalized “due to an emergency health problem” in November. It made no mention of his illness, but he was later declared to be in stable condition.
Concerns about his health were common during his reign, given his age.
Sheikh Nawaf was appointed crown prince in 2006 by his half-brother, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. He became emir after Sheikh Sabah died in September 2020, at the age of 91.
The Emir faced the challenge of steering the economy through a crisis caused by a drop in oil prices in 2020.
According to Bader al-Saif, an assistant professor of history at Kuwait University, Sheikh Nawaf’s reign was notable for issuing numerous amnesties, earning him the title “emir of pardons.”
Kuwait’s Council of Ministers approved a draft royal decree last month calling for the release of political prisoners convicted in the last decade. In 2021, similar pardons were granted.
Sheikh Nawaf would also be remembered for his “unique personal characteristics: soft spoken, devout, modest, and low profile,” according to Saif.
