FILE PHOTO: Kuwait’s new Emir Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah takes the oath of office at the parliament, in Kuwait City, Kuwait September 30, 2020. REUTERS/Stephanie McGehee/File Photo
By Reuters Staff
KUWAIT (Reuters) – Kuwait’s new ruler on Wednesday named veteran security chief Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad as crown prince, retaining power firmly within the ruling family’s oldest ranks and signalling the OPEC member state is unlikely to pursue disruptive change.
The selection of the octogenarian Sheikh Meshal, deputy head of the country’s National Guard and the eldest of several rumoured candidates for the job, must be approved by the Gulf Arab state’s parliament.
It “was blessed by the Al Sabah family,” state news agency KUNA cited a statement from the emir’s office as saying.
The new emir, Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah, assumed power following the death of his brother Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad last week, at a time of tension between Kuwait’s larger neighbours Saudi Arabia and Iran and as the government tries to shore up finances strained by low oil prices and COVID-19.
Diplomats and analysts say that due to his low-key style and age, Sheikh Nawaf, 83, may delegate a larger portion of responsibilities to his heir apparent, who would have to act swiftly to tackle domestic issues.
The parliament speaker had said that if the emir announced a crown prince on Wednesday, then lawmakers would vote on his choice on Thursday, the last day of parliament’s term.
