Nawaf, 83, took the constitutional Oath and become the sixteenth Emir of the gulf monarchy.

He succeeded to the throne following the death of his half-brother, Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, earlier on Tuesday.

Nawaf had been nominated as Crown Prince on 7 February 2006 against the tradition of the Al-Sabah family, according to which the offices of Emir and Crown Prince alternate between the Al-Jaber and Al-Salem branches. (ILKHA)