Kuwait City: Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmed Al Sabah took constitutional oath and became the 16th Emir of Kuwait this morning.
“I swear to respect the constitution and the laws of the state, provide for the people’s freedoms, interest and money and safeguard the independence of the country and its territorial integrity,” Sheikh Nawaf said.
He added, “To God and the people ... and I pledge to you that I will do my utmost to ensure secuity and stabilrity.”
Following the swearing in, Emir Sheikh Nawaf delivered a statement to the National Assembly (parliament). “We will remember with all pride the directions of the late Emir Sheikh Sabah, which will continue to [be a] beacon.”
The new Emir described Sheikh Sabah as a towering figure who "has given so much to his country, his people and his nation".
Speaker of the National Assembly, Marzouq Al Ghanim, said, “The late Emir, Sheikh Sabah, was a wise leader who preserved our country’s [importance]. With his wise policies, he drew a path of survival and safe crossing, which led our country to safe havens.”
The remains of Sheikh 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.
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.
Sheikh Nawaf, who has held high office for decades, takes over with Kuwait facing the repercussions of the coronavirus crisis, which triggered a sharp decline in oil prices and severe economic consequences.
The elder statesman, who was named heir apparent in 2006, served as defence minister when Iraqi troops rolled into the oil-rich emirate in 1990, and also as interior minister in the face of challenges from militants.
The new leader is popular within the ruling Al Sabah family and is reported to have been a consensus choice for ruler. He also enjoys a reputation for modesty and has largely maintained a low profile.
