UAE Rulers lead tributes to Kuwait emir as three days of mourning called

Tributes were paid to a 'beacon of wisdom, tolerance and peace'

US Ambassador to UN Adlai Stevenson with Talat Ghoussein, Charge d'Affaires of Kuwait Embassy and then Kuwaiti foreign minister Sheikh Sabah, at Kuwaiti reception at UN. Getty Images

Sheikh Sabah, Kuwait's foreign minister between 1963 and 2003, and Khalid Jaffar, Kuwait's ambassador to London, with Sir Neville Bland Of the UK Foreign Office in 1964. Rex Features

US president Richard Nixon and Henry Kissinger, secretary of state, meet Arab foreign ministers Abdelaziz Bouteflika of Algeria, Sheikh Sabah of Kuwait and Omar Saqqaf of Saudi Arabia on October 17, 1973 at the Oval Office in Washington, United States. AFP

French president Jacques Chirac shakes hands with Sheikh Sabah at the Elysee Palace in Paris on September 7, 1998. AFP

Kuwait's foreign minister Sheikh Sabah, commerce minister Abdel Wahab Al Wazzan and finance and communications minister Sheikh Ahmad open the Gulf state's free trade zone in November 1999. AFP

Sheikh Sabah kisses a Palestinian boy at a hospital in October 2000. Sheikh Sabah visited five Palestinians who had arrived in Kuwait for medical care. AFP

Kuwaiti's first deputy premier, foreign minister and chairman of the Supreme Petroleum Council Sheikh Sabah visits injured oil workers following a blast at the Al Rawdhatain oilfield north of Kuwait, near the border with Iraq. Four people were killed and 19 others injured. AFP

Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Hariri talks to Kuwait's deputy premier and foreign minister Sheikh Sabah during the opening session of the Arab leader's summit in Sharm El Sheikh in March 2003. AFP

Kuwaiti prime minister Sheikh Sabah performs a Kuwaiti traditional dance during the inauguration of a naval base in Kuwait in 2004. AFP

US president George W Bush shakes hands with Kuwait's prime minister Sheikh Sabah in the Oval Office of the White House in July 2005. Reuters

Sheikh Sabah welcomes Sultan Qaboos of Oman to Kuwait City in June 2005 at the start of a three-day official visit. AFP

Sheikh Saad, Sheikh Salem, chief of Kuwait's national guard, and prime minister Sheikh Sabah receive condolences on the death of Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Jaber at the Al Bayan Palace on January 17, 2006 in Kuwait City. AFP

Sheikh Sabah meets Jordan's King Abdullah in September 2008. Reuters

Chinese President Hu Jintao walks with Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Sabah during a welcoming ceremony held at the Great Wall of the People in Beijing, China in May 2009. EPA

Sheikh Sabah arrives with UAE President, Sheikh Khalifa at the final session of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) summit in Kuwait City on December 15, 2009. AFP

President Sheikh Khalifa with Sheikh Sabah at the GCC Summit in the UAE in December 2010. EPA

Sheikh Sabah at the December 2010 GCC Summit. EPA

Sheikh Sabah is welcomed by Crown Prince Naruhito prior to their official dinner at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo in 2012. Reuters

Sheikh Sabah chats with Queen Elizabeth II as he arrives at Windsor Castle during a three-day state visit on November 27, 2012. Getty Images

Sheikh Khalifa meets Sheikh Sabah in Al Ain on October 3, 2012. AFP

Sheikh Sabah with Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed in 2014. Ryan Carter / Crown Prince Court - Abu Dhabi

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid receives Sheikh Sabah at the Presidential Airport. Seen with Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed and Sheikh Sabah Al Khalid of Kuwait, November 07, 2014. Mohamed Al Hammadi / Crown Prince Court

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed with Sheikh Sabah at Abu Dhabi's Presidential Airport in October 2014. Mohamed Al Hammadi / Crown Prince Court - Abu Dhabi

US president Barack Obama shakes hands with Sheikh Sabah at Camp David in May 2015. EPA

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid meet with Sheikh Sabah at Zabeel Palace, June 7, 2017. Rashed Al Mansoori / Crown Prince Court

US President Donald Trump shakes hands with the Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, on September 5, 2018. AFP

Sheikh Sabah meets Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas during the 2013 Arab-African Summit in Kuwait. Getty Images

Sheikh Sabah is received by Bahrain's King Hamad upon his arrival in Bahrain for the GCC summit in December 2016. Reuters

Sheikh Sabah and Saudi Arabia's King Salman in Jeddah on June 6, 2017. Reuters

Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah greets the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Kuwait in September 2018. Reuters

King Abdullah II of Jordan attending a meeting in Mecca with King Salman of Saudi Arabia, Emir Sheikh Sabah of Kuwait and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President of the UAE. AFP

Sheikh Sabah at the Kuwait National Assembly in October 2019. EPA

The UAE has declared three days of mourning following the death of Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmed, Emir of Kuwait.

Sheikh Sabah passed away on Tuesday at the age of 91 and his death was announced by the Emiri Diwan.

"With deep sadness and sorrow the Emiri Diwan sends its condolences to the people of Kuwait, the Arab and Muslim nations, and our friendly nations worldwide," it said.

The UAE's leaders paid tribute to Sheikh Sabah, who they said was a beacon of tolerance, wisdom and peace.

The President, Sheikh Khalifa, said the Arab world had lost a leader of great stature who always strove to mend fences.

He said Sheikh Sabah worked tirelessly for his country and all Arab nations until the last moment of his life and he mourned his death with great sadness.

A Ministry of Presidential Affairs statement expressed condolences to the Al Sabah family and the Kuwaiti people.

"We emphasise our full confidence in the farsightedness, fortitude and the ability of the people of the state of Kuwait and their wise leadership to complete the triumphant journey of the late Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad in serving the nation and advancing the course of joint Arab action," it said.

The period of mourning began on Tuesday and flags shall fly at half-mast at all official departments inside the country and the embassies and diplomatic missions of the UAE abroad. Classical music typically plays on the radio.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, said he was a compassionate ruler and the heart of the Arabian Gulf.

"May God have mercy on the compassionate father of Kuwait ... We belong to Allah and to Him we shall return," said Sheikh Mohammed on Twitter.

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, also paid tribute.

"Our sincere condolences go to the Al Sabah family and the people of Kuwait," said Sheikh Mohamed on Twitter.

"Sheikh Sabah epitomised wisdom, tolerance, and peace and he was a great pioneer of Gulf cooperation.

"He served Kuwait with honour and grace, and his work will never be forgotten. May God have mercy on him."

Sheikh Sabah was admitted to hospital in the United States in July following surgery.

He ruled Kuwait since 2006 and has steered its foreign policy for more than 50 years.

Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, said Sheikh Sabah was a symbol of peace, wisdom and a constant supporter of the issues affecting Arab and Islamic nations.

"He led Kuwait into the modern age, on a path to stability and prosperity, winning the respect and appreciation of the entire world in the process. I send my sincere condolences and sympathy to Kuwait’s ruling family and to the country’s brotherly people, as they face this great loss," said Sheikh Saud.

"We ask God Almighty that the deceased is granted mercy and that his family find patience and solace."

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, said the world would miss an exceptional leader.

Peace, human leadership, progress and passion for making a better future for Kuwait and our region. We will miss an exceptional leader, leaving a legacy of generosity and humanity," said Sheikh Hamdan.

"We ask God to embrace him with the breadth of his mercy and inspire our people in Kuwait with patience and solace."