His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President, announced a three-day national mourning period on Saturday in response to the passing of Kuwait’s Emir, Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah. The President ordered the lowering of flags to half-mast at all government departments within the UAE and its embassies and diplomatic missions worldwide, effective immediately, according to an advisory from the state news agency Wam.
On the social media platform X, the President conveyed heartfelt condolences to Kuwait and its royal family. His sentiments were echoed by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
Born in 1937, Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah, the fifth son of Kuwait’s late ruler Sheikh Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, embarked on his political journey at the age of 25 as the governor of Hawalli province. In 1978, he assumed the role of interior minister, a position he held for a decade.
Following the death of his predecessor in 2020, Sheikh Nawaf was sworn in as Emir. The world’s oldest crown prince, 83-year-old Sheikh Meshal Al Ahmad Al Jaber, is now in line to succeed as Kuwait’s ruler.