World leaders arrive in Kuwait after emir's death

Foreign dignitaries began arriving in Kuwait on Sunday to offer condolences for the death of emir Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah, who was buried earlier in the day.

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 late Sheikh Nawaf was 83 when he became emir in 2020, at the time the oldest ruler to take power in Kuwait. He was known domestically as a consensus-builder who sought to repair a long strained relationship between parliament and government. He also pardoned dozens of dissidents and critics during his reign.

Sheikh Nawaf's three-year reign as emir was relatively short by Kuwait standards. His predecessor and brother, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah, reigned for 14 years and shaped the Gulf state's foreign policy for two generations.

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. 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 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. "Its proactive and largely constructive ties with Iraq and Iran have proved helpful in the face of sharp regional disputes."