Kuwait's Late Emir Buried After His Successor Is Sworn In

Kuwait's late ruler Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, an acclaimed diplomat and mediator, was laid to rest on Wednesday, shortly after his half-brother was sworn in as the new emir

Kuwait City, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 30th Sep, 2020 ) :Kuwait's late ruler Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, an acclaimed diplomat and mediator, was laid to rest on Wednesday, shortly after his half-brother was sworn in as the new emir.

Sheikh Sabah, who ruled the oil-rich nation for 14 years, died on Tuesday after undergoing treatment in hospital in Minnesota from July.

A Kuwaiti government Airbus A340 carrying his remains from the United States landed in the capital, where roads were cleared to allow passage of a convoy to the Bilal bin Rabah Mosque for funeral prayers.

The new emir, 83-year-old Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad Al-Sabah -- who was sworn in at the National Assembly earlier Wednesday -- was at the airport to receive the body along with other Kuwaiti officials, all wearing masks in line with anti-coronavirus measures.

The late emir's remains were then buried at the Sulaibikhat Cemetery, in a simple ceremony at the public facility, in keeping with tradition.

The royal court said the funeral was largely restricted to the emir's relatives -- a move likely designed to avoid large crowds due to the global health crisis.

Qatar's ruler Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani -- embroiled in a Gulf diplomatic dispute in which Kuwait has mediated -- took part in the funeral prayers, according to official Qatari media.

Sheikh Sabah earned a reputation as a shrewd, unshakeable leader who helped steer his country through the 1990 Iraqi invasion, crashes in global oil markets and upheavals in parliament and on the streets.

World leaders and Kuwaitis alike have hailed the legacy of the late emir, architect of the nation's modern foreign policy and mediator in some of the worst crises to grip the Gulf.

"This man was the safety valve of the Arab world, not just for Kuwait," Bandar al-Dahani, a Kuwaiti citizen, told AFP.

"God willing, that goodness will be in Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf and he will follow the emir's path."