Kuwait's Cabinet on Tuesday named Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah as the country's new emir, after the death of his half-brother Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah at the age of 91. "Pursuant to the provisions of the constitution... the Cabinet calls upon the crown prince, Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, as the Emir of the State of Kuwait," Deputy Prime Minister Anas Al-Saleh said in a statement. Al-Saleh, who is also the country's interior and Cabinet affairs minister, said that the Cabinet prayed for the success of the new ruler in his efforts to ensure the security and growth of the country. After a meeting at Seef Palace in Kuwait, led by Kuwaiti Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, the Kuwaiti Cabinet described the late Emir of Kuwait as a "virtuous father and leader of humanitarianism." Al-Saleh declared a 40-day period of mourning in the country, starting from Tuesday. All government offices will remain closed for three days and flags to fly half-mast over government buildings, Al_Saleh added.
