Kuwait: Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad takes oath as 16th Emir
Kuwait on Wednesday swore in its new Emir, Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah, after the death of his half-brother, Sheikh Sabah, who died in the US. Sheikh Nawaf was sworn in at the National Assembly in Kuwait City.
Sheikh Nawaf was visibly emotional as he addressed the National Assembly a day after the death of the emir, an acclaimed diplomat and mediator who ruled for 14 years.
“The precious confidence that the people of Kuwait have entrusted in us will be guarded with our lives,” Sheikh Nawaf said after taking the oath of office.
He pledged to “serve the nation” in the address before lawmakers, who sat socially distanced and in masks, in line with coronavirus precautions.
The remains of Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah are expected to arrive in Kuwait City later Wednesday, on a flight from Minnesota where he had been undergoing treatment in hospital since July.
According to the royal court, the funeral will be “restricted to the emir’s relatives” – a move likely designed to avoid large crowds amid the coronavirus pandemic. The country has already begun a 40-day period of national mourning.
