Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad al-Jaber Al-Sabah, emir of Kuwait

The Gulf kingdom saw a quick transition to Sheikh Meshal following the death of his half-brother Sheikh Nawaf al-Ahmad Al-Sabah after three years in power.

Sheikh Meshal, who had already assumed some key constitutional duties of the emir in 2021, has spent most of his career in Kuwait's security and intelligence apparatus, keeping a distance from the often bitter disputes within the royal family.