Several hours ago, I came to learn, with a heavy heart, that Kuwait’s ruler Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber, had passed on. I have since conveyed my deepest condolences to my Kuwaiti friends. Emir Sabah was widely regarded as a dedicated statesman, a father of a nation, and an influential, calming voice in the Arab world.
There has been an outpour of emotions and messages of sympathy to Kuwait and its people, for their loss of a beacon in Emir Sabah, who, in 2014, was recognised by the UN for his “exemplary humanitarian leadership,” and more recently at the White House this month, he was awarded the US Legion of Merit.
In this obituary by Al Jazeera, I share my thoughts with James Reinl on Sheikh Sabah’s legacy, during his remarkable 40-year tenure as the Minister of Foreign Affairs (1963-2003). He was involved in numerous episodes of mediation — a bridge builder — and his diplomatic finesse shone through over the decades.
رحم الله حضرة صاحب السمو الشيخ صباح الأحمد الجابر الصباح، طيب الله ثراه، وأسكنه فسيح جناته.
Dr. Clemens Chay 