Kuwait names Sheikh Meshaal as Crown Prince

After Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah passed away on the 29th of September at the age of 91, one of the last rulers of his generation, the Gulf region has been left without its biggest activists for peace since the past 14 years - leaving the question of what his death could mean for the future of Kuwait and the region as a whole.

On Wednesday, Kuwait’s new ruler Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah, named the younger brother of the late Emir, Sheikh Meshaal Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah, currently serving as the Deputy Head of the National Guard, as the crown prince of the Gulf State - pending the approval of the Gulf-Arab state’s parliament, which seems very likely. Born in 1940, Sheikh Meshaal is a younger brother of the late emir, and has served not only as the Deputy Chief of the National Guard (since 2004), but also served as the head of the security services, and various positions in the Interior Ministry.

Kuwait’s current ruler Sheikh Nawaf, aged 83, is expected to delegate a larger portion of responsibilities to the Crown Prince - especially in the midst of rising tensions between Saudi Arabia and Iran, and strained oil prices during the COVID-19 pandemic. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is currently visiting Kuwait to not only extend his condolences on the passing of the Emir to the Royal Family, but also to discuss matters pertaining to regional cooperation in the future.