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By Ibrahim Khazin
KUWAIT (AA) - Kuwait on Saturday announced the appointment of Sheikh Meshal Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah – formerly the crown prince – as the country's new emir, succeeding Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah, who just passed away at age 86.
In a statement, the Kuwaiti Cabinet officially proclaimed Sheikh Meshal, 83, the country’s new emir. Under constitutional arrangements in Kuwait, the crown prince takes the reins of power when it is his turn.
Separately, the late emir is set to be laid to rest on Sunday in a ceremony limited to close relatives. The Emiri Diwan said the ceremonies will take place at the Bilal ibn Rabah Mosque in Kuwait City.
The new emir and the royal family will be receiving condolences at Bayan Palace on Monday and Tuesday.
The Kuwaiti government, in an official statement, also expressed condolences for the late emir, announcing a mourning period of 40 days and the closure of official departments for three days.
According to the Kuwaiti Crown Prince's website, Sheikh Meshal Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah was born in 1940 and grew up in the ruling house “the seventh son of the ruler of Kuwait, Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah, and a brother to three late rulers" whose reigns took place from 1977 to this year, including Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Sabah, his half-brother.
Sheikh Meshal took the position of crown prince on Oct. 8, 2020, with the endorsement of then-Emir Sheikh Nawaf, and the allegiance of the National Assembly, according to the same source.
The new emir was educated at Al-Mubarakia School, the first formal school in the country and attended Hendon Police College in the UK to study police sciences, and graduated in 1960.
After graduation, he joined the Interior Ministry and progressed through various positions until he became the head of general investigations in 1967 with the rank of colonel, holding the position until 1980.
Sheikh Meshal was appointed deputy chief of the National Guard with ministerial rank in 2004, according to the Kuwaiti source.
He achieved "accomplishments in the security and military institution," including "preparing technically competent elements and training them with experience and expertise to deal with exceptional circumstances," it added.
The National Guard is a military unit independent of the army and police, with tasks including supporting the army in defending the country and assisting the police forces in maintaining security, stability, and protecting the domestic front against threats.
Before the death of his predecessor, Sheikh Meshal also held the position of deputy emir. He consistently emphasized the importance of consensus between the Cabinet and the National Assembly (parliament) in his speeches to address public wishes following previous political crises between the two bodies.
Emir Meshal is the seventeenth ruler of the country and the fifth to take the constitutional oath before the National Assembly in the country's history, in line with the Constitution and the provisions of the Law of Succession to the Throne.
* Writing by Rania Abu Shamala