The world lost a great diplomat, a humanitarian leader
The world lost a historic figure; a global humanitarian and one of the greats of our age
History will remember Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmed Al Sabah as a great humanitarian and widely respected diplomat, who managed to diffuse dozens of crises across the world.
The Emir of Kuwait, who passed away on Tuesday at 91, was the longest serving foreign minister in the world when he left the ministry to become a prime minster in 2003 and then Emir in 2006 after the death of his brother, the former Emir Sheikh Jaber.
Kuwait, the region, and the world on Tuesday lost a historic figure; a global humanitarian and one of the last great diplomats and of our age
From 1963 to 2003, Sheikh Sabah served as Kuwait’s global face, a widely respected diplomat and skilled negotiator. He successfully mediated between Pakistan and Bangladesh in 1974, Turkey and Bulgaria six years later, Palestinians and Jordan during the so-called Black September in 1970, and the warring factions in the civil war in Lebanon in the 1970s and 80s.
He was instrumental in the negotiations that led to the reunification of Yemen in May 1990, few months before Iraq invaded Kuwait in August that year in which Sheikh Sabah played a key role in building an international coalition that managed several months later to liberate his country.
In 2014, the United Nations designated him as global humanitarian leader due to his tireless efforts to defuse regional tensions and spearhead the UN efforts to alleviate the suffering of refugees and less fortunate people across the world.
Kuwait, the region, and the world on Tuesday lost a historic figure; a global humanitarian and one of the last great diplomats and of our age.