Kuwait's ruling emir Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah dies at 86

Kuwait's ruling emir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah died at the age of 86, according to state-run media on Saturday. Sheikh Nawaf was admitted to the hospital for an unspecified illness last month after which the oil-rich country had been waiting for news on his health.

"With great sadness and sorrow, we mourn... the death of Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, Emir of the State of Kuwait," a statement aired on Kuwaiti state television



said.

According to state media reports, the Kuwait emir travelled to the United States in 2021 for unspecified medical checkups. The health of Kuwaiti leaders remains a sensitive matter in the Middle Eastern nation bordering Iraq and Saudi Arabia, which has seen internal power struggles behind palace doors.

The state television interrupted regular programming on Saturday to cut to Quranic verses, which signals a possible death in the royal family, reported Reuters.