World Leaders Arrive In Kuwait To Pay Respect To Dead Emir

Foreign dignitaries began arriving in the Gulf state of Kuwait on Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, to offer condolences for the death of emir Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah, who was buried earlier in the day, Ahmed Hagagy and Alexander Cornwell reported for Reuters.

Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah had been ill for a long period of time before his death. I Photo: Ahmed Al Jarallah Wikimedia Commons

Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Sabah, 83, who had been the day-to-day ruler during much of Sheikh Nawaf's reign due to his ill health, has been named as emir after the death of his half-brother.

The leaders of fellow Gulf states Qatar and Bahrain met the new emir, while the Iraqi prime minister and Iranian foreign minister also offered condolences.

Kuwait was invaded and occupied by Iraq in 1990 and has maritime border disputes with Iraq and Iran. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas also met Sheikh Meshal as Kuwait has been a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause.

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman, U.S. Defense Security Lloyd Austin, Jordan's King Abdullah, and Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi were also present to visit the OPEC oil producer.

"Kuwait acts as a stabilizer, providing ballast against the cross-cutting winds of Gulf politics," said Kristin Diwan, a senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington.

WEEKLY FEATURE : Jose Mari Chan And The Christmas Anthem