Ex-emir of Kuwait dies at 78

COUNTRY MORNS: Sheikh Saad, pictured, has passed away at the age of 78. (Getty Images)

Kuwait announced three days of mourning from Wednesday after the death of Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Sabah, the Gulf's state's former crown prince, prime minister and emir, state media said.

Sheikh Saad, 78, who served as crown prince for 28 years and prime minister for 25 years, died late on Tuesday from a long illness and was laid to rest in Kuwait early on Wednesday morning.

"The Amiri Diwan [Emir's Office] mourns His Highness the Father Emir Sheikh Saad Al-Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah who passed away tonight," the Amiri Diwan, the Kuwaiti Ruler's office, said in a statement late on Tuesday.

"Sheikh Saad had faithfully served his country... and made sacrifices for it and was thus beloved and occupied a special place in hearts of all citizens," it added.

Sheikh Saad also previously served as emir of Kuwait for nine days in January 2006, before he was deposed by parliament on health grounds and replaced by the current emir, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, who had been the de facto ruler of Kuwait for the previous four years as prime minister.

Kuwait's official news agency Kuna said on Wednesday that parliamentary election, slated to happen on Saturday, remain on schedule.

All 274 candidates standing have suspended their campaigns for three days, which means no more election rallies will be held before Kuwaitis for to the polls.

State institutions, banks, the stock market, schools and most of private sector institutions are closed for three days.

Born in 1930, Sheikh Saad was the eldest son of the late Sheikh Abdullah Al-Salem Al-Sabah, the 11th emir of Kuwait, known as the father of independence and the constitution.

Sheikh Saad received his basic education in Kuwait, then took courses at Hendon Police College in London until 1954.

He held various posts in the Kuwaiti police and public security services until 1959, when he was appointed deputy director of the police and public security department. He remained in that post until 1961.

In January 1962, Sheikh Saad was appointed interior minister in the first Kuwaiti cabinet after it became independent from Britain. In 1964 he was also put in charge of national defence.

He was Kuwait’s crown prince from 1977 to 2006. He was also prime minister from 1977 to 2003, when he relinquished his post due to poor health, including a colon-related illness and a battle with cancer.

In 1997 he underwent colon surgery and since then he had travelled repeatedly to Britain and the US for tests and treatment.

He was married to his cousin Sheikha Latifa. His survivors include one son, Fahd, and three daughters. Two other daughters died before him.

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