Kuwait’s Sheikh Sabah: The GCC has lost a ‘voice of wisdom’

Kuwait residents reacted with sadness after the death of Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah at age the age of 91. Earlier this year, the leading figure of the oil-rich Gulf nation flew to the United States to seek medical care following several health tests and treatments in recent years. “This morning one of my friends told me ‘they took off his ventilator, so it is imminent, pray for him’,” Kuwaiti financial practitioner Issam Altawari told Al Jazeera. “There is a feeling of sorrow,” he said following the announcement of Sabah’s death on Tuesday. Born in 1929, the late ruler who served as Kuwait’s foreign minister for nearly 40 years took power in 2006. He was regarded as the architect of modern Kuwait’s foreign policy and a respected voice in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region and the broader Middle East. “Sheikh Sabah was a man of peace known to be a mediator in any conflict in the GCC. It is a big loss to the citizens and expatriates here in Kuwait. He will be missed,” Michelle Fe Santiago, a Filipino journalist based in Kuwait since 1999, told Al Jazeera. Defender of a united GCC In June 2017, a coalition of Arab countries led by the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia imposed a sea, land and air blockade on Qatar, accusing the emirate of backing “terrorists” and forging close ties with Iran. Doha has denied all accusations. style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute; top: 0; bottom: 0; right: 0; left: 0;">