BBC

Kuwait. Jan 15: The emir of oil-rich Kuwait, Sheikh Jaber al-Ahmad al-Sabah, has died in his late 70s, a court statement says.
Sheikh Jaber, who had led the country since December 1977, suffered ill health and was seldom seen in public after suffering a minor stroke in 2001.

The statement announcing his death was read on Kuwaiti state television.

Concerns have grown in recent years for the Gulf state's future leadership, with the country's crown prince also in his 70s and said to be in poor health.

A 40-day period of mourning has been declared and government offices will be closed for three days.

Sheikh Jaber, who held the post of prime minister from 1965-78 and was heir-apparent from 1966, was the 13th ruler of a 245-year-old ruling dynasty.

He survived an assassination attempt in 1985 and the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in August 1990.

He fled to Saudi Arabia, where he established a government in exile, returning in March 1991 after a massive US-led international military campaign ousted the Iraqi forces.

The first Arab country in the Gulf to have an elected parliament, Kuwait has recently seen increasing pressure placed on its ruling family to loosen its hold on power