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KUWAIT (Reuters) – The Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, died on Tuesday at the age of 91, plunging his country into mourning for a leader considered by many Gulf Arabs to be a skilled diplomatic operator and a humanitarian champion.
The cabinet announced his brother and designated successor, Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah, as the new ruler, in a statement read on state television. The parliamentary spokesman tweeted that 83-year-old Sheikh Nawaf would be sworn in on Wednesday.
Sheikh Sabah had ruled the wealthy oil producer and US ally since 2006, and directed its foreign policy for more than 50 years.
“With hearts filled with pain and sadness for the Kuwaiti people, the Islamic and Arab world and the nations of the world, and with faith in the will of God, the cabinet cries … Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah who died in the United States on Tuesday, “the statement said.
The emir had been hospitalized there since July after an operation in Kuwait that month.
Flags flew at half mast in Kuwait, which announced 40 days of mourning. “Farewell, Emir of Humanity,” read a large banner on a street near the Kuwait Stock Exchange. Kuwait Towers, a seaside landmark that normally lights up at night, has gone dark.
Condolences came from Arab leaders and several countries in the region announced periods of mourning.
Sheikh Sabah sought to balance relations with Kuwait’s larger neighbors, forging close ties with Saudi Arabia, rebuilding ties with the former occupier of Iraq, and maintaining an open dialogue with Iran.
He tried to mediate a Gulf dispute that saw Riyadh and its allies impose a boycott of Qatar and made raising funds for humanitarian aid in Syria one of Kuwait’s priorities.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, in a tweet in Arabic, praised Sheikh Sabah for promoting “moderation and balance” in Kuwait and the region.
“Today we lost an older brother and a wise and loving leader … who spared no effort for Arab unity,” said King Abdullah of Jordan, also on Twitter.
Sabah maintained strong ties with the United States, which led a coalition that ended Iraq’s occupation of Kuwait in 1990-91 and used the Gulf state as a launching pad for the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
President Donald Trump awarded the United States Legion of Merit, the rank of commander-in-chief, earlier this month to Sheikh Sabah in what the White House said was the first time the honor has been awarded since 1991. The son The emir’s eldest, Sheikh Nasser, accepted the award.
The United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, praised the emir as “an extraordinary symbol of wisdom and generosity, a messenger of peace, a builder of bridges.”
SOFT SUCCESSION
The Kuwaiti dinar fell against the dollar on the forward market on Tuesday and Kuwaiti shares tumbled, before the official announcement of the emir’s death.
Under Kuwait’s constitution, the crown prince automatically becomes emir, but assumes power only after being sworn in in parliament, for which elections will be held this year.
“I don’t see a major change in foreign policy under the new emir, largely because Kuwaiti foreign policy is quite popular at the national and regional level and is considered effective,” Courtney Freer, a researcher at the LSE Middle East Center, told Reuters.
The succession is not expected to affect oil policy or foreign investment strategy through the Kuwait Investment Authority, one of the world’s largest sovereign wealth funds.
The election of the new emir of crown prince and prime minister, who would be tasked with managing the government’s often difficult relationship with parliament, will be closely watched.
“The new Emir will access the throne facing several difficult challenges, including the coronavirus crisis, low oil prices and delicate foreign policy,” London-based Capital Economics said in a research note.
An immediate priority would be a long-awaited debt law that allows Kuwait to tap into global markets to finance a budget deficit, he said. Parliament, which analysts say has been an obstacle to reform efforts, has repeatedly rejected the law.
Although most of Kuwait’s political power is in the hands of the emir, its parliament is one of the most influential elected bodies among the Gulf monarchies.
(Report by Aziz El Yaakoubi, Lisa Barrington, Ahmed Hagagy, Hadeel Al Sayegh, Marwa Rashad, Davide Barbusica, Nayera Abdallah, Ahmed Tolba, Michelle Nichols; written by Ghaida Ghantous, edited by William Maclean and Giles Elgood)
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