A 40-day mourning period has been declared in Kuwait for the deceased Emir Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the Kuwaiti government said on Saturday, adding that public institutions will be closed for three days.
"Mourning for 40 days has been declared for Emir Nawaf al-Jaber al-Ahmad al-Sabah. Public institutions will be closed for three days," the government said in a statement read on air of the state-run Kuwait Television.
The funeral of the deceased emir will be held on Sunday, with only his relatives attending the ceremony, the state-run Kuwait News Agency (KUNA) reported.
Meanwhile, Egypt has declared a three-day nationwide mourning for the late Kuwaiti emir, the office of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Sisi said on Saturday.
"The Arab Republic of Egypt mourns Amir of the State of Kuwait, Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber al-Sabah, who passed away today, Saturday, December 16, 2023 … The Arab Republic of Egypt declares a three-day mourning period across the Republic," the presidential office said in a statement.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has expressed condolences over Emir Nawaf Al-Ahmad's death, saying that the deceased emir "was a great friend of the UK" and that London would remember all his efforts put into the development of the bilateral relations and "his work to promote stability in the Middle East."