Update: The rumors have been confirmed and al-Sabah’s death has been officially announced. “With great sadness and sorrow, we mourn … the death of Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, emir of the State of Kuwait,” said Sheikh Ali Jarrah al-Sabah, the minister in charge of royal affairs, in a television broadcast.
Reports and rumors surfacing from Kuwait suggest that the Kuwait Emir Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah has passed away. The rumors surfaced when Kuwait State Television began cutting to Quranic verses. Kuwait State Television has often done this in the past when a senior member of the ruling family died. Reports indicate that the Amir himself might have passed away.
Rumors suggest Kuwait’s Emir is dead
The rumors of Kuwait Emir being dead stem from his ailing health. The Emir Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah was 91 years old and had been receiving treatment in the US regarding his health condition. No news has been confirmed yet and a spokesperson for the Kuwaiti cabinet has implored people to only rely on information from official sources.
Kuwaiti citizens have expressed confusion and sadness on social media as one question continues to haunt them all, is the Kuwaiti Emir dead? Ali AlAhmed, a Kuwait based journalist, tweeted the following, “The Emir of #Kuwait Sabah AlAhmed AlSabah has passed away in New York City. He was 91. Was involved in many catastrophes in the region but was a master politician. He once told an aid “I can kill with a strand of silk.”
“The Emir of Kuwait passed away around 4:00 AM Kuwait time today. US officials here have told me. Kuwaiti government delayed the announcement until taking constitutional preparations.” has been tweeted by another journalist.
The government official denies all rumors
The Kuwaiti government has refuted all reports of the Emir’s passing. The official spokesman, Tariq Al-Muzrim denied those baseless rumors, calling on the international community to obtain accurate information from official sources and not pay attention to what is being raised on social media, according to the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Qabas. On his part, the Minister of Emiri Diwan Affairs, Sheikh Ali Jarrah Al-Sabah, revealed that the Emir’s health is stable and he is receiving prescribed treatment.
In July 2019, the head of the Emir’s office announced that the Kuwaiti Emir had successfully undergone surgery. A day prior to the surgery, the news agency reported that Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber al-Sabah was admitted to the hospital for a medical check-up. A few hours later, a royal decree was issued stating that Kuwait’s crown prince would temporarily exercise some of the ruling Emir’s constitutional duties.
Last year, the country acknowledged that the Emir had suffered an unspecified medical “setback” that required him to be hospitalized. It is apparent that the Emir suffered from rapidly declining health. Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber al-Sabah was sworn in on 29 January 2006 after confirmation by the National Assembly. He was the fourth son of Sheikh Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. The Kuwaiti stock market also fell 2.2% Tuesday amid concerns over his health.
Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber al-Sabah is expected to be succeeded by his 83-year-old half-brother and crown prince, Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmed.
