Kuwait’s ruling emir, Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah, dies at age 86

By JON GAMBRELL
Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Kuwait’s ruling emir, the 86-year-old Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah, has died. State television reported his death on Saturday. Kuwait TV broke into programming with Quranic verses just before making the announcement. In late November, Sheikh Nawaf was rushed to hospital for an unclear illness. In the time since, the tiny, oil-rich nation had been waiting for news about his health. State-run news previously reported that he traveled to the United States for unspecified medical checks in March 2021. The health of Kuwait’s leaders remains a sensitive matter in the tiny Middle Eastern nation bordering Iraq and Saudi Arabia, which has seen internal power struggles behind palace doors.