KUWAIT CITY: Kuwait’s new emir, Sheikh Nawaf, on Wednesday named his half-brother Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Jaber Al-Sabah, a long-serving top security official, as crown prince.

Sheikh Meshal, 80, has been deputy chief of the Kuwait National Guard since 2004, largely staying out of the political scene and away from disputes within the royal family. The Sabah ruling family “blessed” 83-year-old Sheikh Nawaf’s decision, the official Kuwait News Agency said Wednesday, a day ahead of a parliamentary session to approve the choice. “The new crown prince (if confirmed by parliament) is more of a running mate for Sheikh Nawaf rather than an investment in Kuwait’s future,” tweeted Andreas Krieg of King’s College London. In recent years, the ruling family has been flaunting its differences, with lurid accusations of corruption and political conspiracies lodged by some of its members against others.