Kuwaiti Emir Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, 91, has passed away.

Kuwaiti Emir Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, 91, has passed away.

The announcement comes hours after the Minister of Amiri Diwan Affairs, Sheikh Ali Jarrah Al-Sabah, announced that the Emir's health is stable and he is receiving a prescribed treatment.

Earlier this year, the 91-year-old ruler underwent a medical surgery after reports emerged that he had been admitted to hospital for a medical check-up.

Last year, Kuwait acknowledged that the Emir had suffered an unspecified medical "setback" that required him to be hospitalised.

Sheikh Sabah has ruled Kuwait, an OPEC oil producer, since 2006 and has steered its foreign policy for more than 50 years.