At the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE will observe a three-day state mourning following the death of His Highness the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah with the flag flown at half-mast at all official departments, embassies, and UAE’s diplomatic missions outside the country.

Sheikh Khalifa, the Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and rulers of the Emirates have mourned the death on their social media channels.

In a statement, the Ministry of Presidential Affairs said that that UAE has lost one of the most prominent leaders from the Arab and Islamic nations who made huge contributions to his people and nation, defended Pan-Arabism and Islamic causes sincerely and loyally. He was one of the pioneers of the joint GCC action, along with fellow GCC leaders, who enhanced the GCC journey.

The remains of Sheikh Sabah are expected to arrive in the capital Kuwait City today, on a flight from Minnesota where he had been undergoing treatment in hospital since July. The country has already begun a 40-day national mourning.

According to the royal court, the funeral will be “restricted to the emir’s relatives” probably to avoid large crowds during the coronavirus pandemic.

New Emir sworn in

Sheikh Nawaf Al Ahmed Al Sabah, 83, took constitutional oath and became the 16th Emir of Kuwait on September 30 morning.

“I swear to respect the constitution and the laws of the state, provide for the people’s freedoms, interest and money and safeguard the independence of the country and its territorial integrity,” Sheikh Nawaz said reading Article 60 of the Constitution.

The new Emir Sheikh Nawaf is the sixth son of the 10th Ruler from the Al Sabah dynasty, Sheikh Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, who ruled Kuwait from 1921 to 1950. Sheikh Nawaf was sworn in as crown prince in 2006, after his half-brother Sheikh Sabah was appointed Emir. Sheikh Nawaf’s first governmental position was in 1961 as governor of Hawalli Governorate. He later served as Minister of Defence and Minister of Interior.

He is popular within the ruling Al Sabah family and is believed to be a consensus choice for ruler. He also enjoys a reputation for modesty and has largely maintained a low profile.

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The Federal Ministry of Education in partnership with the Frontline Heroes Office has launched “Hayyakum”, an initiative that will provide scholarships for children of frontline healthcare professionals to attend public schools across the UAE. This has been rolled out under the direction of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and overseen by H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and Chairman of the Education and Human Resources Council.

“Hayyakum” aims to provide the children of frontline healthcare professionals with access to high-quality education and also alleviate the financial stress faced by many frontline healthcare professionals in the payment of tuition fees. The initiative will ultimately result in the long-term retention of frontline healthcare professionals.

So far, 1,850 children of frontline healthcare professionals have received the scholarships, which will commence this academic year and run until the year of graduation from high school. Applications for this academic year close on September 30.

The Frontline Heroes Office was established in July 2020 by decree of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and is under the direction of the Chairman of the Frontline Heroes Office, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed.

It supports a comprehensive range of frontline professionals, including medical and non-medical staff working in the health sector, such as doctors, nurses, pharmacists, cleaning and services personnel, as well as protection and prevention workers, security and emergency workers, and sanitisation workers.

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