Foreign dignitaries arrived in the Gulf state of Kuwait to offer condolences for the death of emir Sheikh Nawaf al Ahmad al Sabah, who was buried earlier on Sunday. Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Sabah, 83, Kuwait's day-to-day ruler during much of Sheikh Nawaf's reign due to his ill health, has succeeded his half-brother as emir.
Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman and Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani were in Kuwait to separately meet with Sheikh Meshal.
The Iraqi prime minister and Iranian foreign minister also offered their condolences.
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin arrived where he was met by Foreign Minister Sheikh Salem Abdallah al-Sabah and Defence Minister Sheikh Ahmed al-Fahad al-Sabah.
"On behalf of President Biden, I convey heartfelt condolences," Austin told his Kuwaiti counterpart. Sheikh Nawaf "will be missed but we will build upon his legacy," Austin added.
Jordan's King Abdullah, Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas also visited the OPEC oil producer. Kuwait has been a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause.
"Kuwait acts as a stabilizer, providing ballast against the cross-cutting winds of Gulf politics," said Kristin Diwan, a senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington.
"Its proactive and largely constructive ties with Iraq and Iran have proved helpful in the face of sharp regional disputes." Sheikh Nawaf, whose six-decade career in public service included stints as minister of defence and interior, was buried in Sulaibikhat cemetery in a coffin draped in the Kuwaiti flag, after prayers at Bilal bin Rabah mosque. He died aged 86.
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