Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad al-Sabah passed away at the age of 86, as announced by the royal court. The cause of his death was not immediately disclosed, but he had been admitted to the hospital last month for an emergency health issue. Crown Prince Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Sabah, who has been the de facto ruler since 2021, is the designated successor. Sheikh Nawaf became emir in September 2020 after the death of his brother, Sheikh Sabah. His reign was marked by a standoff between the government and elected parliament, hindering key structural reforms. However, in recent months, consensus has returned between the government and the parliament. Kuwait, with the world’s seventh-largest oil reserves, is bordered by Saudi Arabia and Iraq and lies across the Gulf from Iran. Sheikh Nawaf maintained a foreign policy that balanced ties with these neighbors. Under Kuwait’s constitution, the crown prince automatically becomes emir but assumes power only after taking an oath in parliament. The new emir has up to a year to name an heir.