Kuwait named Crown Prince Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Sabah its new Emir after the death of erstwhile Emir Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah on Saturday (Dec 16). Sheikh Meshal is the half brother of the late Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Nawaf.

The naming of Sheikh Meshal as the new Emir of Kuwait was confirmed by a statement from the deputy prime minister and minister of state for cabinet affairs.

Who is Sheikh Meshal?

Sheikh Meshal Al Ahmad Al Jaber, 83, the new Emir of Kuwait was the crown prince of Kuwait before being named as the de-facto ruler of the oil-rich Gulf country.

The octogenarian had been one of the world’s oldest crown princes.

Sheikh Nawaf himself handed over most of his duties to Sheikh Meshal owing to his failing health. The emir-designate has been Kuwait’s de-facto ruler since 2021.

Under Kuwait’s constitution, the crown prince becomes emir once the erstwhile Emir becomes incapacitated. 

Sheikh Meshal will assume power after taking oath in parliament. The new emir has up to a year to name an heir.

Sheikh Meshal as Kuwait emir: What does it mean?

Critics cited in the western media interpreted the appointment of Sheikh Mishal, now 83 — possibly the world’s oldest crown prince — as a sign that Kuwait would defy a trend towards generational change among the Gulf’s ruling families in favour of a risk-averse oligarchal rule committed to continuity.

Besides, under Sheikh Nawaf and his Crown Prince Sheikh Meshal, Kuwait continued to align itself more closely with the regional powerhouse, Saudi Arabia.

At the same time, the restoration of Iran-Saudi ties has given a new dimension to West Asia’s internal geo-economic alignments with a semblance of stability. But the Israel-Hamas war has added to the latest string of challenges for stability in the volatile region. 

Sheikh Meshal as new Kuwait Emir: Immediate challenges

The new emir’s choice of crown prince and premier – who would face the challenge of managing the government’s tumultuous relationship with parliament – will be consequential as a younger generation of Kuwait’s ruling family jostles for position.

Such factional struggles within the Sabah family have often played out in parliament as contenders for succession build their political capital.

Kuwait, which has a population of 4.2 million people, has the world’s sixth-largest known oil reserves.